Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson retires from international cricket Tuesday Nov 17,2015

 

Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson on Tuesday  Nov 17,2015 announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket at the end of the ongoing Test against New Zealand, joining a host of fellow veterans who recently called it quits.

Mitchell Johnson(34) said before the start of the fifth and final day's play at Western Australian Cricket Association ground, "I feel now is the best time to say goodbye. I have been lucky enough to have had a wonderful career and enjoyed every moment of playing for my country. It's been an incredible ride. But the ride has to come to an end at some point and to do so here at the WACA is very special."

 

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has retired from international cricket after the Test match against New Zealand in Perth ended in a draw

Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc and (front left) Mitch Marsh pose with Johnson in the dressing rooms at the WACA, and give their team-mate a dousing with a traditional post-match beer

 The Australia team join Johnson for a beer and a photo on the occasional of his final Test match 

Wife Jessica and daughter Rubika join a smiling Johnson in the dressing room

 

Speculation had been rife about Johnson's future ahead of the second Test against the Kiwis, with the bowler admitting last week that he thought about retirement "most days"

On his adopted home ground which has been the scene of some of his most lethal spells during a 73-Test career, he returned dismal figures of 1-157 in the first innings against New Zealand.

Mitchell Johnson follows Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson into retirement, who all quit after the recent Ashes series against England

Mitchell Johnson will leave the field as Australia's fourth-highest Test wicket-taker with a current tally of 313 in his 73 Test appearances.

AUSTRALIA'S TEST 300 CLUB 

• Shane Warne - 708
• Glenn McGrath - 563
• Dennis Lillee - 355
• Mitchell Johnson - 313
• Brett Lee - 310

After making his first class debut with Queensland in 2001, Johnson got his start in the Test team in 2007, made his Test debut in November 2007, against Sri Lanka
He later moved to Western Australia.
His best haul was 8 for 61 against South Africa, at the WACA Ground, in 2008.
At times his form was curtailed by injuries and his career had stalled until a stunning comeback in the 2013-14 summer, when he was recalled to the Australian side and tormented England with blistering pace to take 37 wickets at 13.97 as the home side completed a 5-0 clean series sweep.
Johnson also played 30 Twenty20 internationals and was a handy lower order batsman capable of clean striking, with a Test top score of 123 not out and 11 half-centuries.

Mitchell Johnson made his ODI debut in December 2015 against New Zealand, Johnson went onto play 72 ODI matches, taking 239 wickets at an average of 25.26, including three five-wicket hauls