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Australia [Images] batsman Matthew Hayden [Images] announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old told a Brisbane news conference he was quitting immediately, drawing stumps on a dazzling career that saw him being regarded among the greatest opening batsmen of all time.

"Today I'm announcing my retirement from representative cricket, effective immediately," he read from a prepared statement. "I know that now is the time to move on.

Hayden, a powerfully built left-hander, played 103 Tests for Australia between 1994 and 2009, scoring 8,625 runs at an average of 50.73.

The Queenslander also completed 30 centuries including 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003, which briefly stood as the world record for the highest Test score.

Hayden was just as effective as a one-day player, amassing 6,131 runs from 161 appearances and featuring in the Australian teams that won the 2003 and 2007 World Cups.

Hayden defied great odds to establish himself as a permanent member of the Australian team despite being dropped twice early in his career, but speculation about his future had intensified over the past year.

He was dropped from the Australian one-day team last week and his position in the test side became a subject of national debate after a lean run of scores.

Hayden insisted he wanted to play on until this year's Ashes tour of England [Images] but his announcement to retire on Tuesday was not unexpected and he said he was quitting without any regrets.

"I've lived the dream of every kid who has ever picked up a bat and ball and wanted to wear the baggy green," he said.