Health scare forced Brad Hodge to call time on his professional cricket career

Hodge could not participate in the latter half of the ongoing BBL season due to health complications.

Brad Hodge | Getty

Australia’s veteran batsman Brad Hodge has announced his retirement from playing all forms of competitive cricket at the end of the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) season.

43-year-old Hodge was played for Melbourne Renegades but he had to miss the closing stages of the league due to appendicitis related issue.

Hodge was hospitalised ahead of Renegades' clash against Sydney Thunder on January 24 where he had his burst appendix removed. However, another infection led to him being hospitalised again and further surgeries delayed his comeback as he missed the final two group games and also the nerve-wrecking semi-final against Adelaide Strikers.

“This will be the end of the road. I’ll represent (Melbourne club) East Sandringham in the finals and that will be it for my cricket career,” Hodge said while speaking to News Corp.

“Technology now keeps you up and about, but (the doctor) stated that 30-40 years ago it could have been the end of the road.

“Time-wise for me, I was probably fortunate I went in (to hospital) on the Saturday in Melbourne. If I’d left it another 24 hours it could have been a lot worse. The surgeon didn’t paint a great picture of what was happening inside there,” he added.

In December 2017, IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab had appointed Hodge as their head coach for the next three editions.

As far as Hodge’s international cricket career is concerned – the Victoria born cricketer has represented Australia in 6 Tests, 25 ODIs and 15 T20Is. He is deemed as a cricket giant in Australia’s first-class cricketing circle, amassing 17084 first-class runs in 223 matches at an impressive average of 48.81, with 51 tons and 64 fifties.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 04 Feb, 2018

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