Australian batsman Simon Katich on Tuesday announced his retirement from first-class cricket in Australia, citing family reasons.
Katich, 36, is currently playing with Hampshire in the English county season and is committed to play for the Perth Scorchers in the Champions League Twenty20 in October.
But he was axed from the Australian team after the 2010-2011 home Ashes series defeat to England and was stripped of the New South Wales captaincy last year in the Sheffield Shield competition.
Katich released a statement through Cricket Australia saying personal factors were the main reason for his retirement.
‘With a young family and a desire for an extended time at home, Simon has decided it is time to reassess his priorities,’ the statement said.
Katich, a left-handed top-order batsman, played 56 Tests from 2001 to his last appearance against England in Adelaide in December 2010.
He scored 4,188 Test runs at an average of 45.03 with 10 centuries, and made 44 one-day international appearances for 1,324 runs at 35.78.
His demotion from the Test team was highly controversial and his tense relationship with Australian skipper Michael Clarke was played out heavily in the media.