Perth: Ex-Australia Test batsman Marcus North says he will retire from first-class cricket to pursue wine industry business interests in Britain and to play limited stints in English county cricket.
North scored 886 runs at an average of 63.28 this season to lead his Western Australia side to its first domestic first-class final in 15 years, losing to New South Wales.
The 34-year-old North on Thursday said he plans to honour the final year of his contract with Big Bash Twenty20 side the Sydney Sixers. North says he hopes eventually to coach at the county level in England.
The left-hander scored five centuries in 21 tests for Australia, but was dumped from the Test side after a sequence of low scores in series against Pakistan, India and England in 2010.
