Matthew Wade Shifts Focus to T20 World Cup Post Red-Ball Retirement
Matthew Wade, who delayed his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to play in the Shield final with his home team Tasmania, shared his decision to retire from red-ball cricket with his state teammates prior to their match against South Australia.
In a heartfelt statement, Wade expressed his gratitude towards his family, “I am deeply thankful to my family, my wife Julia, and our children Winter, Goldie, and Duke, for the sacrifices they have made throughout my career as I travelled across Australia and the world as a red-ball cricketer.”
Wade plans to continue his career in the white-ball format, keeping his hopes alive to represent Australia in the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled for June in the West Indies and USA.
Australia’s keeper-batter Matthew Wade and his teammates reflect on his remarkable semi-final innings in the previous ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and their aspirations to create more memorable moments in 2022.
Wade, who was appointed as the stand-in captain during the recent New Zealand series for the final T20I in Mitch Marsh’s absence, also led the five-match T20I series against India last year following their Cricket World Cup victory.
Following a 3-0 series win against New Zealand, Wade expressed his enthusiasm about being a part of the T20 World Cup squad, “It’s an exciting time to be in the T20 squad, and I can’t wait to get started at the World Cup,” he said.
The 36-year-old was a key player in Australia’s squad that won the T20 World Cup in 2021, delivering a Player of the Match performance in the semi-final against Pakistan where he scored an impressive 41* off 17 balls, leading his team to the final.
Wade made his debut for Australia in Test cricket in 2012, playing in 36 matches from 2012 to 2021 and scoring 1613 runs, including four centuries.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges that the long-form game provides, and although I will continue to play white ball cricket, wearing the Baggy Green while playing for my country remains a highlight of my career. Not playing the longer format of the game will give me an opportunity to get stronger, get in the gym a bit more and have some longevity in that format,” Wade added.