Brad Hodge not interested in playing for Australia anymore

Brad Hodge has played just six Tests for Australia despite averaging 55.88 and also having a double hundred to his name Getty Images

Melbourne: Jan 4, 2011

Consistently ignored by the national selectors despite scoring tons of runs in domestic cricket, out-of-favour batsman Brad Hodge says he is no longer interested in playing for Australia again.

Hodge, who is considered as the most devastating batsman in domestic cricket, played just six Tests for Australia despite averaging 55.88 and also having a double hundered to his name.

His ODI career lasted just 25 matches during which he scored three fifties and a century at an average of 30.26.

"There's two 37-year-olds (Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey, who is actually 36) doing pretty well now. If I was still there I'd be doing pretty well, I reckon," said Hodge, who turned 37 last week and has not played international cricket since mid-2008.

"But I don't want to play for Australia again, no way," he was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.

Hodge, instead, said he would like to spent the rest of his career as a freelancer in various Twenty20 tournaments around the world and represent his state team Victoria in domestic circuit.

"This is my life now. It's enjoyable, stress free. It's time for the youngsters to step up and do something," said the right-hander, who is the leading run scorer in Australia's domestic limited overs comeptitioin this season with 312 runs.(PTI)