Cricket: Test career over for bitter Border: Australia's prolific captain retires
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Your support makes all the difference.ALLAN BORDER, the captain of Australia and Test cricket's most prolific batsman, yesterday retired from the international stage. After 16 years and a record 156 Tests, the 38-year-old Border ended months of speculation about his future, but typically his departure was not without a combative edge.
Border left with a swipe at the Australian Cricket Board over the handling of his announcement. On Tuesday, the Australian selectors delayed naming the 15-man squad to tour Pakistan in September, suggesting Border's indecision had prompted their action.
'I am disappointed by some of the comments,' Border said. 'They (the ACB) are saying that I am gumming up the works yet they knew full well that my decision was being made at a press conference. I am very angry.'
His response was to bring forward his farewell by 24 hours. 'It was a tough decision for me,' he said. 'It is like part of me died. Making this decision to retire was a painstaking process. It is done with a heavy heart and it has taken me a lot of weeks to come to this decision. I am basically fed up with all the innuendo and speculation and I am telling you officially I am going to retire from international cricket.'
Sir Donald Bradman, Australia's most revered batsman, said in tribute: 'Few people, if any, have graced the stage for as long as Allan and he can look back with pride.'
The batsman David Boon said: 'I can fully understand the trauma he has gone through in reaching his decision.'
Jamaica's Steve Bucknor will be the first independent umpire in a Test in England. He has been put in charge of next month's opening Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge and will also stand in the second Test at Lord's.
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