Haynes, a top left batsman, made her Australian debut in an ODI against England at Lord’s in 2009 and days later scored 98 on her Worcester Test debut. In total, she scored 3818 international races including 2585 in ODI, which also earned her two centuries.
Haynes captained Australia 14 times when he replaced Meg Lanning, including at the 2017-18 Ashes when Lanning was sent off with a shoulder injury.
“One of the benefits of having a long career is watching those around you grow,” Haynes said. “I’m extremely proud of how this team has brought in players and nurtured their development. The ability to help players transition smoothly has been critical to our team’s success. Being a leader in this environment has been the greatest privilege of my career.”
A century of test matches has eluded her terribly: in addition to her 98 on her debut, she also had 87 in Taunton in 2019 (ending in a questionable lbw decision) and 86 in Canberra against England earlier This year.
Thank you Rachel! I had the honor of receiving from you my ODI cap and my NSW cap. You have been a fantastic leader in every team you play for and you have certainly had a huge impact on the game of cricket. We will miss you very much but I can’t wait to play you one last time in the WBBL pic.twitter.com/iLuNyiN9eT
—Ashleigh Gardner (@akgardner97) September 14, 2022
She had addressed the issue of retirement over the past year and at the World Cup in New Zealand said: “At the end of every series I play I ask myself the question, ‘have I always this passion and this desire to continue’ and ‘am I always playing at a level that contributes to the success of the team?
On Thursday, she thanked everyone who played a role in her career.
“Playing at this level is not possible without the support of many people,” she said. “From clubs, states, coaches, family and friends, I am so grateful to those who have helped me along the way. In particular, I would like to thank my parents Ian and Jenni, and my partner Leah for their unwavering support.
“To all the teammates in my career, you are the reason I have played for so long. You have inspired me to be better every day. I have learned something from all of you, on and off the You m challenged me as a player, helped me grow as a person and most importantly made cricket fun.
Healy, who put 160 with Haynes in the ODI World Cup final earlier this year, paid tribute to her teammate.
“I feel so lucky to have been able to spend most of my career playing with Rach,” she said. “In the early years I played against her when she was in Victoria, and we were rivals in the WBBL, but it’s pretty obvious that it’s better to be on her team than trying to get her out.
“To have the privilege of being on the other end to watch some of his greatest innings, and it’s those moments, as well as the moments off the pitch that travel to Australia and around the world, that I will always cherish.”
Nick Hockley, Chief Executive of Cricket Australia, said: “On behalf of everyone at Cricket Australia, I would like to congratulate Rachael on her incredible career and also recognize the outstanding contribution she has made off the pitch.
“Rachael’s calm and assured leadership was key to Australia becoming one of the most successful sports teams in history. She will go down as a great player.
“Rachael has been an inspirational figure to the children who got into the game and to her many teammates and has been instrumental in advancing cricket as a sport for women and girls here in Australia and around the world. the world. We look forward to watching Rachael in the WBBL this season and hope she maintains a close connection to the game for years to come.”
In the WNCL, where Haynes played for Victoria and New South Wales, she scored 4,528 points at 43.12 with nine centuries. For NSW, she sits fourth on the all-time scoring list behind Alex Blackwell (4788), Lisa Shalekar (3414) and Lisa Keightly (3081).
Andrew McGlashan is associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
