Mitchell Johnson announces his retirement

Paceman to retire from all international cricket at the end of the WACA Test

Jhonson was thinking about his retirement from the last few months and the decision was made now and he will retire after the on going test in Perth.Johnson has confirmed that he will retire from all cricket immediately the second Test against New Zealand comes to a close at the WACA, and will not see out the current series against the Black Caps or the remainder of the Australia summer. He leaves the game as Australia’s fourth-highest Test wicket taker with a current tally of 311 in his 73rd Tests.

Johnson then took that charging form into a three-Test series against South Africa and adding to catching a extraordinary 59 wickets at an average of 15.23 over that period, he frightened batsmen with his speed and aggression and was awarded the Allan Border Medal in 2014 as Australia’s most brilliant cricketer. He was also named the International Cricket Council’s Test Player of the Year after those exploits, to add to the ICC Player of the Year honour he received in 2009.

Only Dennis Lillee (355), Glenn McGrath (563) and Shane Warne (708) have taken more Test wickets than Johnson who is the only player among that quartet to also have irregular a Test century with the bat. But Johnson also experienced some deep lows, most notably his loss of form during the 2010 Ashes series in England that saw him humiliated by English crowds and had him question his hunger for the game, and a serious foot injury in 2011 that forced him out of the game for a year. He used that time to recover his fitness and reignite his passion and resumed in the second phase of his career as one of the most dominant, exciting players in the world.

The 34-year-old passed in the lead-up to the current Test that he considered retirement “most days” and those thoughts certainly became more insistent as he laboured through a unproductive first innings on a WACA pitch that was once his highest helper. It appears that any fears Johnson might have felt about extending his career through to summer’s end in pursuit of the Test wicket benchmark of 355 set by his close friend and mentor Lillee were removed when he recorded forgettable figures of 1-157 in NZ’s first innings. He has also chose to finish his international career, which involved 153 one-day internationals and 30 T20 appearances for his country, at the WACA which became his adopted home ground after shifting from his native Queensland in 2007.

This means he will not take part in the historic day-night Test match against the Black Caps in Adelaide on November 27, having already indicated his misgivings about the pink ball to be used in that match and the shift away from the traditions of Test cricket that he valued highly. "I feel now is the best time to say goodbye,” Johnson said in a statement released shortly before play resumed at the WACA where Australia holds a lead of 193 with a declaration expected later in the day. "I have been lucky enough to have had a wonderful career and enjoyed every moment of playing for my country. It’s been an unbelievable ride

Recently appointed Cricket Australia Chairman David Peever paid tribute to Johnson, who debuted for Australia a decade ago in an ODI in New Zealand and played his first Test at the Gabba two years later. "Dennis Lillee was surely right many years ago when he recognized a young Mitchell Johnson as a future great of Australian cricket,” Peever said, citing Lillee’s thought when he first saw Johnson bowl as a teenager in Queensland. "In many ways the sight of Mitchell as a moustache tearaway conjured memories of Lillee at his peak, not just in appearance, but for some of the most devastating fast bowling ever produced by an Australian.

"There have been countless highlights, but no one will ever forget his incredible performance in the 2013-14 Ashes when he took that series by storm, only to repeat those efforts soon after in the history-making win over South Africa in South Africa. "I am sure there are many batsmen around the world breathing a sigh of relief right now, knowing that they no longer have to face him. "He leaves the game as one of our all-time great bowlers and as an excellent example to young Australians about what they can achieve through hard work and devotion to their chosen dexterity. "We thank Mitchell for his exceptional service to the game and wish him, wife Jessica and daughter Rubika the very best for life beyond cricket.” Johnson’s announcement is likely to overshadow the final day of play at the WACA which is also the ground where his ex-teammate and former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting bowed out of the game in 2012.

Matthews added: “Mitch Johnson has been an outstanding diplomat for WA and Australian cricket and will be a huge loss for the game both on and off the field. “A favourite with boys and girls across the state, Mitch has been one of those players who has been an inspiration to young players at clinics and school visits and been a large part of the growth of the game with Australia having the highest participation rates of any sport.”

 MITCHELL JOHNSON'S MAGNIFICENT NUMBERS

311 wickets from 73 Tests at an average of 28.10

239 wickets from 153 ODIs at an average of 25.26

38 wickets from 30 T20Is at an average of 20.97

12-127 - his career-best Test match figures recorded in Australia's win over South Africa in Centurion in 2014

8-61 - his career-best Test innings figures recorded in Australia's loss to South Africa in Perth in 2008

6-31 - his career-best ODI figures recorded in Australia's win over Sri Lanka in Kandy in 2011

2 - Sir Garfield Sobers trophies, awarded to the ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2009 and 2014

2 - World Cup titles. He didn't play a game in Australia's undefeated 2007 campaign but was part of the squad

37 - Johnson's stunning haul in the 2013-14 Ashes. It was five short of breaking the record for most scalps in an Ashes series, a feat of 41 that Rodney Hogg achieved in six Tests.

156.8 - kilometres per hour, the fastest speed his bowling was clocked at. It came in the 2013 Boxing Day Test against England.