21st December, 2006 | Back to Shane Warne Index

 

Shane Warne has put to rest retirement speculation, confirming the final Ashes Test in Sydney will be his international swansong. He has also confirmed that he has also retired from Australian domestic cricket including St Kilda and Victoria however he will honour his contract with Hampshire for the next two seasons.

 

The man who has taken 699 Test wickets told a conference at the Melbourne Cricket Ground he would not be playing on after the end of this summer's Ashes campaign.

 

"It's been an amazing journey, a wonderful ride," he said. "My time is now . . . I couldn't have written my script any better."

"I probably would have retired at the end of 2005 if we had have won the Ashes," he said. "I think I'm going out on my terms. I think I've earned the right to do that."

 

"I couldn't have asked for my cricket career to go any better."

 

Dressed in a suit and looking calm and composed, the leg-spinner said he was a "very happy man" and knew it was time to step down.

"My life has been unbelievable to be honest," he told a swarm of media at the MCG.

 

'A wonderful ride'

 

"It's about knowing the right time... I'm going out on my terms ..."

 

He will finish his 15-year Test career after the fifth and final Test against England in Sydney from January 2-6.

 

"I sit here a very happy man to get that urn back,'' he said.

 

"It's been unbelievable - my journey and ride in international cricket has been phenomenal.

 

"I don't think I could have written the script any better.''

 

Warne said he couldn't have possibly given more to the sport.

 

"I've given absolutely everything to the game."

 

He said the job wasn't done yet, with two tests left to go.

 

"We want to come out in Melbourne and win the Test match."

 

Warne nominated last week's match in Adelaide the 1992 match in Columbo, Sri Lanka, as his favourite Test matches.

 

He admitted he would miss the sport, which was a hobby as well as a career.

 

"I'll miss playing cricket with Victoria. I've been playing with Victoria for 17 years. I'll miss playing club cricket with St Kilda."

 

He said he had yet to decide what he would do after his retirement.

 

"The next half of my life will be exciting. Who knows what the future holds?

 

"I know it'll be spending more time with my children... I'm looking forward to that side of things.

 

"My focus is these next two matches. I'll sit down and have a few quiet beers and a few smokes and I'll figure out what the future holds."

 

He joked about the "soap opera" that greeted him at the press conference and how well kept the "secret" of his impending retirement had been.

 

Warne, cricket's greatest ever wicket-taker, will farewell his army of hometown Melbourne fans at the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

 

Warne has claimed 699 wickets and set to break the magic 700 mark next week.

The 37-year-old, who has played 143 Tests, is the only current player to be included in Wisden's top-five cricketers of the 20th century.

 

One reporter asked him what he thought of Steve Waugh's opinion that one day Shane Warne would one day coach England.

 

Laughing he replied "I don't know what Stephen's on but no, no immediate plans!!!" A true Legend.

 

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