Aussie pacer Ben Hilfenhaus announces retirement

The former Australian Test fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus has announced his retirement from First-class cricket but plans to continue playing with Melbourne Renegades in the domestic Twenty20 competition. He has played only one Sheffield Shield first-class match for Tasmania this season as he struggled to find form after returning early from England’s county season, where he played for Lancashire, with a hip injury.

“I’ve already had one crack at this today and it wasn’t very easy so I’ll try again,” the Aussie was emotional upon making the announcement. The 32-year-old pacer, who played 27 Tests for Australia, the last in 2012, took 99 wickets.

Hilfenhaus, a former bricklayer, told the Cricket Australia website on Wednesday, “I’ve had to make a decision with regards to my body not being able to perform at the level I’d like in four-day cricket anymore.” Named in Tasmania’s team of the past 150 years, Hilfenhaus took 262 wickets for his home state, helping the Tigers to three Sheffield Shield titles along the way.

“I guess at the end of the day it was just about me being honest with myself and admitting that my body wasn’t up to the demands of red ball cricket. If you look back over the last couple of years I’ve been hampered by a few niggles and injuries and it’s probably prevented the way I want to play cricket in the longer format,” he said.

His current state coach Dan Marsh thinks Hilfenhaus sits among the best the state has ever produced. “I think Ben has been out best ever Tasmanian produced bowler in our history and certainly one of our finest ever cricketers. He’s been such a warrior and champion of our team so for him to keep trying to push his body through that I think is just not fair on himself at the moment and I think he’s made a really good decision,” Marsh said.