Just after the final game for his Indian Premier league side, the Kings Punjab XI. Australian cricketing legend Adam Gilchrist announced his intention to retire from the game of cricket in the hope of taking up a permanent role as on the coaching staff at the Indian club. The Wicket keeper batsman is regarded as one of the greatest players to ever don the gloves behind the stumps and his huge following of fans will be sad to see him leave the sport after years of service.
The 40 year old right handed batsman was a regular in the Australian test match and one day international squad before his international retirement in March 2008 after reaching an impressive ninety eight test matches and two hundred and eight seven one day internationals. As a wicket keeper he was superb and stands easily as the best wicketkeeper Australia has ever seen and perhaps the best to ever play. When considering that Matt Prior is currently ranked the best wicket keeper currently playing in the world, it shows to what extent as a wicket keeper batsman Gilchrist was far and beyond the best of his generation.
In batting terms the forty year old has a very impressive test average of 47.60 at test match level which particularly notable considering he batted down the order on a number of occasions. With a top score of two hundred and four and the current record for the fastest test hundred and the most number of sixes in a test career, the bit hitting Australian will long be remembered as one of the greats of the game. In fact the current Aussie team could do with a player of his calibre as the current crop of players are a shadow compared to the glory days of Australian cricket brought about by Gilchrist and his teammates