Australia’s Hussey to retire

Highest Australian Test batting averagesSir Donald Bradman (1928-48): 99.94Greg Chappell (1970-84): 53.86Michael Clarke (2004-present): 53.86Ricky Ponting (1995-2012): 51.85Jack Ryder (1920-29): 51.62Mike Hussey (2005-12): 51.52Steve Waugh (1985-2004): 51.06Matthew Hayden (1994-2009): 50.73SYDNEY - Australia batsman Mike Hussey has announced he is to retire from all forms of international cricket.The 37-year-old will play his 79th and final Test against Sri Lanka next week, having also appeared in 185 one-day internationals and 38 Twenty20 matches.Known as ‘Mr Cricket’, Hussey has a batting average of 51.52 - the sixth highest Australian average of all time.Hussey is the latest high-profile Australian departure following Ricky Ponting, who retired in November.The middle-order batsman, who made his Test debut against West Indies in Brisbane in November 2005, has scored 6,183 Test runs in his career.He has also made 5,442 runs in the 50-over game - averaging 48.15 - while his Twenty20 average is 37.94.Hussey rose to prominence in the Ashes squad of 2006-07, notching the second-highest Australian run total (458) and highest batting average (91.60) of the series as his side whitewashed England for the first time since 1920-21.He follows Ponting and Brett Lee in announcing international retirement in 2012. Of that last victorious Ashes squad, only Hussey, bowler Mitchell Johnson - who did not play - and captain Michael Clarke remain in the current squad for the final Test against Sri Lanka.Hussey scored his 19th Test century in the first match of the current series, hitting an unbeaten 115 in the first innings in Hobart.He will play out the remainder of the 2012-13 Australian summer, but review his availability for club sides Western Warriors and Perth Scorchers at the end of the season.