Shaun Marsh announces retirement from professional cricket

Sydney, Jan 14 (PTI) Australian cricketer Shaun Marsh on Sunday announced his retirement from professional cricket, with the Melbourne Renegades' fixture against Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League on Wednesday being his last assignment.

He joins former Australian skipper Aaron Finch into retirement.

"I have loved playing for the Renegades. I've met some great people over the last five years, and the friendships I've made will last a lifetime," Marsh, 40, said in a statement to the Renegades.

"To the Renegades' coaches and staff and everyone behind the scenes, thank you for backing me in from the start and over my final years. It's made my job a little easier out in the middle." Despite starting the season late due to an injury, Marsh accumulating 181 runs in five outings at an average of 45.25 and a strike rate of 138.16. He also hit three half-centuries.

Before joining Renegades during the 2019-20 season, he had a lengthy and successful stint with Perth Scorchers between 2011-19, and he also paid tribute to his previous team.

"I owe a lot to the Scorchers. I've got some fond memories of playing in Perth and really enjoyed my time there. The back-to-back titles are up there for me as the most enjoyable moments I've experienced on a cricket field," he concluded.

Marsh also had a great stint with Australia across formats, scoring more than 5,200 runs and 13 centuries, while his last outing for the Kangaroos was against Sri Lanka at The Oval during the 2019 ODI World Cup. PTI