Michael Hussey says he knows he has made the "right decision" to retire from international cricket at the end of the Australian summer.
Hussey has announced that the third Test against Sri Lanka starting on Thursday at the SCG will be his final appearance in the five-day arena, prior to making his one-day international farewell.
The 37-year-old will enter the SCG encounter with an impressive Test resume under his belt, having scored 6,183 from his 78 appearances at an average of 51.52.
He has 19 Test centuries to his name and 29 half-centuries since making his debut against West Indies in Brisbane in November, 2005.
His one-day international career has also been solid with 5,442 runs posted at an average of 48.15 from 185 matches.
Hussey says he began to seriously consider retirement prior to the commencement of the recent three-Test series against South Africa.
But he wanted to wait until the current series against Sri Lanka was underway before he made his final decision.
"I have been thinking about for quite a period of time," Hussey told Grandstand.
"But there was probably a bit of a moment when I was away on one of my last trips, probably during the Champions League in South Africa, when I thought ''I'm pretty sure I'll make the decision at the end of the Australian summer'.
"I wanted to come into the Aussie summer and and enjoy it and just play as well as I could, and my feelings pretty much haven't changed coming up to now.
"I'm very happy and very comfortable to be going out on top, I guess."
Hussey will be "going out on top", having so far enjoyed a rich vein of form during the domestic Tests.
He averaged 59 against the Proteas, courtesy of back-to-back centuries at the Gabba and Adelaide Oval, in additional to a half-century in Australia's second innings at the latter.
The Western Australian is also leading the home side's averages with 180 following two Tests against Sri Lanka, having recorded another century in the series opener in Hobart.
He would no doubt have played a pivotal role in Australia's upcoming series away to India and England but he admits the desire to continue had begun to wane.
"I was looking forward to the Indian series and the Ashes series and I didn't have the same excitement and buzz about the challenges ahead that I felt I needed to have," he said.
Hussey also concedes the lengthy absence from his young family while on tour in India and England would have taken its toll.
"I certainly was probably more dreading that than looking forward to the challenges that are going to come forward for that," he said.
Hussey's rise to the Test ranks at the age of 30 was a victory for perseverance, as it came 11 seasons after his first-class debut for Western Australia.
He had long been touted as a future Test player but such was the strength of Australia's batting order he had no choice but to wait his turn.
The long road to making his debut meant his memory is somewhat blurred when he reflects on the presentation of his Baggy Green by the late Bill Brown at the Gabba seven years ago.
"It's such an emotional moment, particularly for me because it took me so long just to get the opportunity to play one Test," he said.
"It just felt like the culmination of so many ups and downs and so many hurdles you had to overcome over the course of my career and just to be standing there that day in front of my team-mates and receive that ... it's just a little green cap really, but it represents so much more than that.
"It represents such a long journey."
Hussey says many of his team-mates were shocked by his announcement, but supported his decision.
Tags: cricket, sport, perth-6000 First posted December 30, 2012 20:15:48
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