Warne, McGrath and now Harmison retire

Retirements in cricket, it seems, are cyclic. A few players announce their departure within a season of each other. They come in patches, and may or may not, mark the end of certain style of cricket that that particular team plays. It's too early to tell what affect Warne and McGrath's retirement will have on Australian cricket. And we still have 2 more tests to go. Since its all happening so fast, one probably wont be surprised if Langer and Hayden hang up their bats. One thing is for sure though. This Ashes meant a whole lot more to Australia. Announcing your retirement after retaking the series so emphatically, indicates how satisfied they are with their accomplishments, and how they would like to end their international careers on a high.

Though McGrath's retirement is still yet to be confirmed, its still a whole lot of retirement talk this past month. Martyn announced it after the 2nd test while Boje silently parted ways with South Africa soon after. I assumed McGrath would stay till the World Cup. Harmisson, on other hand, bar a game here or there, had become a liability for England in ODI's.

The big news is Shane Warne though. Sad day for cricket. As far as I can remember, he's been cocky, arrogant, and a his rise to cricking stardom coincided with Australia's dominance this past decade. He's been an incredible part of Australia's success. There is no doubt that he is the best at what he does. The numbers speak for themselves. But more than that, he was an integral part of the Aussie aggressive, in your face, mind games, which propelled them to the top and intimidated all others.