Melbourne: England spinner Graeme Swann announced on Sunday that he is retiring from international and first-class cricket with immediate effect in a shock announcement midway through the Ashes tour.
“After a great deal of consideration I have decided to call it a day on my international and first-class career,” Swann, 34, said in a statement.
“This decision has been very difficult seeing as the England team has been my family for seven years now, but I feel that now is the right time to step down.”
Off-spinner Swann, a popular character in the England team, has been under pressure to keep his place in the squad after taking seven wickets at an average of 80.00 in the three Ashes Tests in Australia.
Swann is widely regarded as world cricket’s premier spinner, with 255 wickets in 60 Tests at 29.96 since his Test debut in 2008. He is the sixth-leading Test wicket taker of all time for England.
Swann’s shock decision comes a week after England lost the Ashes to Australia following a heavy defeat in the Perth Test to give the home side an unassailable 3-0 series lead with two Tests to play.
His abrupt retirement call means he will be unavailable for the fourth Test, starting in Melbourne on Thursday, and further unsettles the England team following the departure of batsman Jonathan Trott with a stress-related illness earlier in the tour.
England team director Andy Flower said: “Graeme Swann has made an outstanding contribution to the England cricket team in all formats throughout an incredibly successful career, and I would like to congratulate him on all that he has achieved.
“His commitment, competitive spirit and sense of humour have been recognised and admired by team mates and supporters alike, and he has played a big part in England’s success over the last five years.
“I don’t know what to say, I thought he’d bowled OK in the series, just without luck I guess,” said fast-bowler Ryan Harris.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan said on Twitter he believed it was “too soon” for Swann to call it a day, describing him as “finger spin out of the top draw”.
“Of all the England players over the last 20 yrs he is the one the team (will) miss the most .. Spinners of his quality are a rare breed…” Vaughan tweeted. (AFP)
