Rachael Haynes, Australian women’s cricketer, has announced her retirement

Rachael Haynes, an Australian cricketer, has announced her retirement from all forms of the game. Haynes, however, will compete in the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League season but won’t be available for other domestic competitions.

After making her ODI debut in 2009, the Australia vice-captain went on to win everything in her distinguished international career. Haynes in her first Test for Australia was just two runs short of her maiden century.

Haynes, one of the world’s best top-order batters, had a career cut in two after being forced to fight her way back into the team following the 2013 Ashes loss.

She wasn’t summoned back until 2017, and at the one-day World Cup that year, she quickly assumed the captaincy. Since returning to the lineup in all formats, the left-hander has averaged 41.25 runs over the course of more than half of her 3818 career runs.

Rachael Haynes has been the first member of Australia’s golden generation to retire from international cricket, with a Commonwealth Games gold medal to round off a storied career. The 35-year-old has also retired from domestic one-day cricket but will play in the WBBL with the Sydney Thunder this summer before retiring completely.

As Meg Lanning’s replacement, Haynes led Australia on 14 occasions, most notably in the 2017–18 Ashes when Lanning was unable to play due to a shoulder injury.

On Thursday morning Haynes in a statement said that “Playing at this level isn’t possible without the support of many people. From clubs, states, coaches, family, and friends, I’m so grateful to those who helped me along the way. In particular, I want to thank my parents Ian and Jenni, and partner Leah for their unwavering support,”

She ended the statement by saying “To all the teammates across my career, you are the reason I’ve played as long as I have. You’ve inspired me to be better every day. I’ve learned something from all of you, on and off the field. You’ve challenged me as a player, helped me grow as a person, and most importantly, made cricket fun.”

Haynes’ resignation means Cricket Australia will have to make another captaincy decision, given she has been skipper Meg Lanning’s deputy for the previous five years. If necessary, Alyssa Healy would be the most likely choice to fill the position.