Shaun Tait has decided to take an indefinite absence from all cricket due to physical and emotional exhaustion.
Pace bowler will miss Twenty20 and ODI series Down Under
Australia paceman Shaun Tait has made the shock announcement that he is to take a break from all cricket due to physical and emotional exhaustion.
In a statement released by Cricket Australia the 24-year-old said an indefinite absence from the game would "hopefully give me a clear mind and a chance for my body to rest and recover".
Tait will now not feature in Friday's Twenty20 clash against India in Melbourne and the upcoming Commonwealth Bank Series.
The South Australian has played in three Tests and 18 one-dayers for his country and was a key member of last year's squad at the World Cup in the Caribbean, taking 23 wickets in the tournament.
Difficult situation
"This is a very difficult situation for me to be in at this time, this is not an overnight decision but something that I've been struggling with for some time," Tait said.
"A break from professional cricket will hopefully give me a clear mind and a chance for my body to rest and recover.
"My love and enjoyment of the game is struggling due to these issues and if I continue to go on it will be unfair on my team-mates and support staff of both the Australian and South Australian cricket teams - and most importantly my family and close friends."
Tait's career has been hampered by injuries. He had shoulder surgery following the 2005 Ashes series in England and then needed an operation last year to repair a problem with his elbow.
Combination
South Australian Cricket Association medical officer Terry Farquharson believes the bowler is in need of a break to recover, both physically and mentally.
"The combination of his injury history and the demands of being an elite professional cricketer has affected his physical, and significantly, his emotional well being," Farquharson said.
"Shaun feels he needs a rest from cricket and I support this, which will allow him to recover both physically and emotionally."
