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Ed Cowan retires from first-class cricket with Tasmania

Ed Cowan 's most important move - for himself and Australia - was from NSW to Tasmania. (Image: AAP/Dave Hunt)
10th March, 2015
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Former Test batsman Ed Cowan has announced his immediate retirement from first-class cricket with Tasmania.

The news comes less than a month after the NSW-born 32-year-old signed on for another 12 months with the Tigers, indicating that he still had ambitions to represent Australia.

Cowan will still be available to play for New South Wales, having played this season in the Sydney Grade competition with Sydney University.

Despite scoring four centuries in the first half of the Sheffield Shield season with Tasmania, and two half centuries since Christmas, Cowan has decided to pull the pin on his career with the Tigers.

He played his last Test match in Australia’s unsuccessful Ashes tour in 2013, and was dropped after the first game.

Cowan has not returned to the squad since, only getting one opportunity during Darren Lehmann’s time as coach.

He played 18 Test matches for Australia, making 1001 Test runs at an average of just over 31.

Cowan also commentated during Australia’s Test summer on ABC Grandstand’s radio coverage.

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His loss is a big blow to the Tigers, who have lost all four Sheffield Shield games since the resumption of the competition after the Big Bash League.

An emotional Cowan cited family reasons for his decision to leave the Tigers, who have just one Sheffield Shield fixture remaining for the season, versus Victoria in Alice Springs.

He told reporters it had been a mistake to sign on for another year and the decision has been playing on his mind and impacting on his playing form.

“It’s time to be a family man who plays cricket rather than a cricketer with a family,” he said.

“And that’s a very hard decision to make when cricket has been your number one priority for 15 years, but times change.”

Cowan, his wife and young daughter will move to Sydney and the left-hander said he hasn’t given any thought to his cricketing future.

“I still desire to play Test cricket but there’s a realisation that might have gone and it’s family first from here,” he said.

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“I might end up playing club cricket for Sydney Uni next year and that’s the only cricket I play.”

Cowan said he’s had no contact with NSW Cricket, who he said are a strong unit.

“Let it settle, have a break and I’m sure it will come to me, what’s going to happen from there.”

With AAP

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