"I've bowled my final ball" - Mitchell Johnson announces complete retirement from cricket

One of the finest bowlers of the modern-era, Johnson was as fearsome as one could get. At his prime, he is the best bowler of the world, of fire and brimstone. He was Australia's savior when the team suddenly found themselves without Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and his single-handed contribution was the main reason Australia rose from the sudden obscuirty to one of the forces, once again. While the pacer announced his retirement from international cricket a couple of years ago, he continued playing league cricket and was a part of Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League this year. However, he was facing some back problems, which were probably an indication that he needed to seclude himself from the game.

Since his debut in the international cricket, Johnson accumulated 590 wickets. His Test records reveal 313 snatched wickets at an average of 28.40. He played exceptionally well in the Ashes series of 2013-14 when he took 37 wickets at an average of 13.97. Further, he picked 22 wickets at an average of 17.36 in the Test series against South Africa following the Ashes.

“Now it's all over, the stand-out memories include the 2013/14 Ashes summer, the South African tours - including my only Test century in Cape Town in 2009 - and the World Cups. I saw more highs and lows than most cricketers and I'm proud that I was able to fight back from adversity in the latter part of my career and produce consistent performances. I made mistakes and I learnt from them. Slipping a long way down the pecking order as I battled a serious toe injury didn't deter me. I'd already lost my Queensland contract as a youngster and I knew what it felt like."I also knew that I could make it back. It wasn't that I thought I could. I knew that I could play for Australia again if I worked hard and really wanted it. At my best, I felt like I was meant to be out there and I didn't have to force anything. It just happened. My manager recently reminded me I had won the ICC Cricketer of the Year twice. But more than the games, the trophies and achievements, I remember my close mates and miss the camaraderie,” he said.