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Australia v India, 4th Test, Adelaide, 4th day
Nothing sinister in Gilchrist retirement
Peter English
January 27, 2008
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Adam Gilchrist is "really happy but a bit confused" after deciding to step down from Tests
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Adam Gilchrist insists there is nothing sinister to his surprise retirement and has promised to reveal all after his final Test finishes on Monday. Thoughts of walking away began on Thursday night and Gilchrist called his parents on Friday, telling them to fly to Adelaide to see his last days in whites.
Gilchrist was feeling "really happy but a bit confused" after the response to his decision and he wanted to avoid the hype to keep the focus on Australia as they push for a series win. "There's nothing sinister or anything to hide," Gilchrist told Nine before the start of the fourth day. "There's no reason why I'm not talking openly, but I can't wait till the end of the game to share it then."
The demand for Gilchrist is high, but he asked his supporters to "hang with me for another day" before he discussed the decision and his career in depth. "It's just been unbelievable," he said. "I want to say to the cricketing public: I just can't wait to focus on the Test and at the end I can't wait to share it with everyone."
Gilchrist's mother, father, sister and brother are in Adelaide and the only person that doesn't seem to know about the call is his brother Glenn, who is camping in country Queensland. "He's out of range, so if someone sees him please tell him," Gilchrist said. "I want to track him down, I'd love him to be here."
Ian Healy said Gilchrist was not pushed from the team, but the choice was made because he didn't have the energy to escape a "mini-glitch" in form. "It hasn't forced the move, but I think it has made it very clear on what he should be doing," Healy said. "It cleared everything in his mind. He decided 'that's it, I haven't got the energy to get myself back up out of this sort of mini-glitch'.
"He is not a thoughtful cricketer, he is a very natural cricketer. He is an instinctive cricketer and that that had been dulled a little bit for him."
Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo
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