Australia's left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff has announced his retirement from 50-over cricket. Behrendorff said that he has plenty of cricket left in him but has retired from state cricket. The Western Australian bowler has taken 75 wickets in List A and 126 wickets in Sheffield Shield for his team.
"I've been able to live my childhood dream playing state cricket to then have played some cricket for Australia as well," Behrendorff said as he made the announcement.
"The WACA has been my home for so long now.
"I've spent my whole adult life here, really. I turned 19 just as I came across and moved to Perth, and now nearly 35, I've have certainly had a lot of good times here.
"I'm taking a step in a slightly different direction but by no means is it cricket finished for me; I've still got plenty of cricket left in me, but from a WA point of view, it's time to move on."
Behrendorff wants family time
Behrendorff is happy to leave Western Australia and Perth Scorchers better than when he started after winning championships with them. He is set to take a break and spend time with family before getting back to the grind.
"The pride that I have of what I've been able to achieve here in the West (and) feel like I've been able to contribute to leaving this place better than when I started, that's something that I'm really proud of," Behrendorff said.
"Success has come with that as well, which I'll look back fondly on those memories of winning championships for Western Australia and Perth Scorchers.
"At this stage, I don't have any cricket lined up in the next month or so, which is kind of scary but also really refreshing knowing that I can spend some time at home with my family and for my kids, just be a dad," he said.
"(To) be around, that's something that has been a huge part of my decision as well. I know that I'm away at various times with international commitments and franchise leagues, but I want to be home and be present for my kids … and be able to really immerse myself more in family life, which is so exciting."
New BBL franchise for Behrendorff
Behrendorff will continue to play T20 cricket at home and leagues around the world. After leaving Perth Scorchers, he will play for Melbourne Renegades in the next Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-25. The 34-year-old has signed a three-year deal with Melbourne Renegades.
Behrendorff's ODI and T20I numbers
Behrendroff's last ODI appearance was in 2022. He played his last T20I against West Indies in February 2024. He made his T20I debut against India in 2017. From 17 T20Is, he has 18 wickets at an average of 24.61, including one four-wicket haul.
In ODIs, he has 16 wickets from 12 games at an average of 35.50, including a five-wicket haul against Englanda at Lord's in ODI World Cup 2019.
Behrendorff's IPL numbers
Behrendorff has represented Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 and 2023 editions. He has 19 wickets from 17 games at an average of 29.05. It will be interesting to see if he gets picked in the next few editions of the T20 league.