GILLY RETIRES

GILLY RETIRES

Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist has announced his retirement all forms of international cricket.

The 36-year-old will retire from Tests after the current match against India, and will quit one-day internationals at the end of the season.

"It's with great pride that I make the decision to retire," said Gilchrist, who on Friday broke the record for the most Test dismissals by a gloveman. "I came to this decision after much discussion with those important to me." <!-- E SF -->

Gilchrist made his Test debut in 1999, and scored 5,556 runs, taken 377 catches and made 37 stumpings in his 96 consecutive appearances.

Another notable record that Gilchrist takes with him is the highest number of Test sixes, and against Sri Lanka in November 2007 he became the first batsman to reach 100 maximums.

He also won the World Cup with Australia in 1999, 2003 and 2007 in his role as a devastating batsman for Australia's one-day side.

Since Australia's 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2006-7, Damien Martyn, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer have all left the international scene.

In the third Ashes Test at Perth in 2006 he smashed the second-fastest Test century, from 57 balls - just one more than Viv Richards in 1986 - hitting three sixes in an over off Monty Panesar.

It was the last of his 17 hundreds, and he reached three figures against all nine of Australia's major Test opponents.

His final World Cup innings was also a memorable one, firing 13 fours and eight sixes from 149 from 104 balls in the final against Sri Lanka.

"I thank all my team mates and support staff who have given me the most enjoyable, fun career anyone could hope for and to the many officials and opponents I have come across.

"It has been terrific to play against you and more importantly get to know you."

Former Australia opener Michael Slater said: "We're all shocked but I think it's a good decision.

"He was a superstar who changed the face of cricket. He has set a standard for keeper/batsmen that I dodn't think will ever be matched."

Another former Australia opener, Justin Langer, added: "He is one of the best players I have ever played with and the best wicket-keeper/batsman who has ever played the game."

Cricket Australia Chairman Creagh O'Connor paid a fitting tribute to the popular left-hander.

"Adam has unquestionably been Australia's finest ever wicketkeeper batsman," he said.

"He has been a great adornment to the game of cricket and his statistics with bat and gloves speak for themselves.

"His influence on the game has gone well beyond statistics both in terms of the dignity with which he has played the game and his respect for the traditions and the spirit of cricket."

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Great player apart from his double standards of claiming he would walk while batting yet he claimed anything while in the field.

In my opinion, the greatest wicketkeeper ever.

Certainly the best wicketkeeper/batsman ever. Australia's really going to miss him. All the better for us then.

The guy who takes his place will have a hard act to follow.

Brad Hatton. Young bloke but looks good after his limited appearances.

haddins not that young, hed be late 20s easy. thats the thing with aussie cricketers, they spend so long serving apprenticeships by the time they make debuts theyre old. case and point is chris rogers who made debut last week and is heir apparent to hayden, hes 30.

Possibly the best test #7 in the game, not the best gloveman but one of the best cricket personalities in the game! Has certainly changed the way the batsman/wicket keeper role will be used in future.

i think he an amazing keeper, he's by no means as athletic as somelike McCullum, but coming in after a period containing keepers like Ian Healy and Ian Smith he was certainly a pioneer of the position.

you'll be missed gilly, one of a few aussie sportman (along with Emerton and Andrew Symonds) I respect.

If he wants to, he'll probably make a far better commentator than Healy also...

lol im with you on that one!