Matthew Wade, the Australian wicketkeeper-batter, has retired from international cricket and will join the coaching staff of the national Men’s team, Cricket Australia announced on Tuesday.
Wade, who made his international debut in October 2011, has featured in 36 Tests, 97 ODIs and 92 T20Is, with his last appearance coming in June 2024 at the T20 World Cup.
Speaking of his retirement, Wade said, “I was fully aware my international days were most likely over at the end of the last T20 World Cup. My international retirement and coaching has been a constant conversation with George (Bailey) and Andrew (McDonald) over the past six months.
“Coaching has been on my radar over the last few years and thankfully some great opportunities have come my way, for which I am very grateful and excited.
“I will continue to play BBL and the odd franchise league over the summer months but around those commitments as a player I am investing heavily in my coaching.
“As my international career closes, I want to thank all of my Australian team mates, staff and coaches. I enjoyed the ride as challenging as it can be at international level. Without good people around me I would have never got as much out of myself as I did.
“I also thank my family, mum, dad and sisters for the countless hours they put in over the years getting me to games and training.
“Lastly to Julia and the kids. I can’t thank them enough for the sacrifices they have made for me to continue to pursue my dreams. No words can explain how grateful I am to them, none of this would have happened without their support.”
He will join Australia’s coaching staff for the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan under Andre Borovec and be with the group for the ODI Series which starts in Melbourne next week. He will however continue playing domestic cricket for Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League for at least the next two summers.
Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia CEO, said: “Congratulations to Matthew on what has been a wonderful international career during which his skill and versatility has made him an outstanding performer across all formats.
“I’m delighted he will add to his massive contribution by coaching the next generation of stars and also continuing to light up the Big Bash with the Hobart Hurricanes.”
Ben Oliver, Executive General Manager, High Performance & National Teams, said: “We extend our thanks and congratulations to Matthew on an outstanding international career.
“Matthew was a much-loved teammate in Australian teams across all formats over the past 13 years. His resilience and adaptability were a feature throughout his career, and he should be incredibly proud of the impact that he had at international level.”
“We look forward to Matthew drawing on his wealth of experience as he transitions into coaching, and we wish he and his family the very best for the future.”
