Matthew Wade has announced his retirement from international cricket and will immediately take on a coaching position with the Australian team, starting with the T20I series against Pakistan next month.
Wade last represented Australia in the T20 World Cup in June, a tournament many expected would mark his international finale after being omitted from the UK tour in September. In March, he had also retired from red-ball cricket following Tasmania's journey to the Sheffield Shield final. Despite retiring internationally, Wade will continue playing in the Big Bash League with the Hobart Hurricanes and in T20 leagues worldwide. In his new role, he’ll work with Australia’s youthful T20I squad, led by coach Andre Borovec, while head coach Andrew McDonald and other staff focus on preparing for the Test series against India. Wade is also set to join Australia’s coaching team informally during the upcoming ODI series.
Wade expressed that he had anticipated his international career would likely end with the last T20 World Cup, a topic he’d discussed with selectors George Bailey and Andrew McDonald over the past months. Coaching, he shared, has been a goal for several years, and he feels grateful for the opportunities now unfolding.
Over his career, spanning from 2011 to 2024, Wade played 36 Tests, 97 ODIs, and 92 T20Is for Australia. He was instrumental in Australia’s T20 World Cup victory in the UAE in 2021, particularly remembered for his game-changing, unbeaten 41 off 17 balls in the semi-final against Pakistan. Reflecting on his career’s end, Wade thanked his Australian teammates, coaching staff, and family, noting that their support allowed him to achieve more than he could have alone. He expressed deep gratitude to his parents, who dedicated time to support his journey, and his wife Julia and their children, acknowledging the sacrifices they made to help him pursue his dreams.
Wade’s Test career concluded in 2021 during India’s tour of Australia, after a successful comeback in the 2019 Ashes, where he scored two centuries. His final ODI appearance was also in 2021, returning to the side briefly during a West Indies tour amid the pandemic.
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley commended Wade’s outstanding international career and his adaptability across all formats, adding that he looked forward to seeing Wade inspire the next generation through coaching and light up the Big Bash with the Hobart Hurricanes.