Brad Hogg to retire from international cricket

Australia’s frontline spinner in limited-overs cricket to call it a day

Brad Hogg plans to retire at the end of the tri-series limited-overs finals against India, leaving Australia's Test spin bowling stocks in short supply.

Hogg, 37, announced his decision on Wednesday, calling an end to a career that included seven Tests and 121 ODIs as a left-arm spinner.

Hogg stepped into the Test void when Stuart MacGill, the long-time heir apparent to leg-spinning great Shane Warne, was injured after Australia's Test series win over Sri Lanka late last year.

He played three of the four Tests in Australia's 2-1 win over India and has been a regular fixture of Australia's limited-overs side for five years, playing a role in the World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007.

Hogg said he had considered retiring from international cricket after Australia's World Cup win in the West Indies last April, but decided that Warne's retirement gave him a chance to get back in the Test team.

"My career started against India and I thought if I can play test cricket against India that would be fantastic," Hogg said. "I wanted to fight to get back in there and I did it and I achieved what I wanted to achieve."

Hogg did not rule out playing domestic cricket for Western Australia or joining one of the lucrative Indian Twenty20 leagues.

Australia is due to tour Pakistan next month, although the tour is in doubt due to security concerns, and then the West Indies.

Hogg's absence means selectors have little choice but to recall MacGill, who is just returning to cricket following a series of operations.