Damien Martyn announces retirement
AP
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SYDNEY, Dec 8: Australian batsman Damien Martyn announced his immediate retirement from international and first class cricket on Friday.
Martyn, 35, and a veteran of 67 tests from 1992, told Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland of his decision, reportedly after being dropped from the Australian squad for the third Ashes Test against England starting at Perth on December 14. Cricket Australia was due to name the squad on Friday.
Damien Martyn: Factbox
A brief profile
Martyn had been under pressure to retain his place after scoring only 35 runs in three innings in the first two Tests of the five-match series. He ends his career with 4,406 runs in Tests, including 13 centuries.
Martyn said in a statement issued by Cricket Australia he no longer felt 100 per cent committed to the sport. "I feel therefore, it's time for me to move aside," he said. "I've enjoyed everything the game has given me. I have gained from it more than I could ever have imagined.
"I have made in the playing of cricket, life-long friends." Martyn said his sudden retirement, in the middle of an Ashes series, might upset some of his Australian teammates. "I said to myself when I made this decision in the last 48 hours that I may lose friends in doing what I'm doing," he said.
"But I also said to myself that if I stayed doing what I was doing I may equally lose respect for myself and the friendship of those around me who are entitled to expect from me more than 100 per cent. "I wish everyone associated with Cricket Australia the very best."
Australian captain Ricky Ponting said he and other Australian team members would miss Martyn's presence. "Martyn is one of the world's most unsung players in both forms of the game and I don't think it is really understood how good a player he actually is," Ponting said in a statement.
http://cricket.indiatimes.com/articleshow/739478.cms