Australia’s Voges, Doherty to hang up pads

Adam Voges    

SYDNEY: Adam Voges announced  his retirement from  Australian first-class cricket  on Wednesday, departing the  domestic game as the oldest  player to score a Test century  on debut.  The middle-order batsman  played 20 Tests, 31 one-dayers  and seven Twenty20s for his  country in an international career  spanning 10 years with a  batting average above 45  across all forms of the game.  Failing to catch the eye of  selectors this year led the  West Australian captain to announce  his retirement at the  end of the current Sheffield  Shield season, although he  still plans to play the T20 Big  Bash League and for English  county Middlesex.  “It’s something I’ve been  wrestling with and considering  for a while but I feel now  is the right time,” said the 37-  year-old.  “This season has been particularly  physically and mentally  tough, after being left out  of the Test team and no longer  having the carrot of international  cricket to strive for.  “After 15 years of firstclass  cricket, my mind and  body have been pushed to  their limit. I have given my all  to WA cricket.”  At the age of 35, Voges  made a first innings 130 not  out in his Test debut against  the West Indies in 2015.  He leaves with a Test average  of 68.87, second only to  Donald Bradman in highest  averages among players who  have featured in more than 20  Tests.  Aussie spinner Xavier  Doherty also announced  Wednesday that he will hang  up his pads after representing  Australia in all forms of  the game between 2010 to  2015.  The 34-year-old took more  than 70 international scalps  across his four Tests, 60 ODIs  and 11 Twenty20s. He will  continue to make himself  available for the Big Bash. —  AFP