Michael Clarke retirement: Clarke says telling his grandfather was the hardest of all

EXCLUSIVE COLUMN: My entire life has been about cricket. I’ve thought about the great game every day for as long as I can remember.

Clarke: Telling Pop was hardest call of all

MY family were all there for my first Test in India. And they’ll be there for my last at The Oval.

People say your cricketing life starts when you make your debut, but it’s so much more than that.

I got my first bat at Christmas as a two-year-old boy and from six years of age my parents drove me to training and saved up money to buy me the cricket equipment that I needed.

They would allow me to train everyday at the indoor sports centre at Liverpool as long as I’d done my homework first.

They gave me this opportunity.

My entire life has been about cricket. I’ve thought about the great game every day for as long as I can remember.

That’s why it’s so special that my family are all flying over for this last Test match.

Definitely telling my grandfather was perhaps the hardest part and he was very emotional.

Pop’s made it clear to me over the past 10 years that watching me play cricket is a big part of what keeps him going.

I tried not to let emotion overcome me – I’ve done too much crying over the years.

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I spoke to mum, dad and my sister as well and they feel for me because cricket has been the one common denominator for me my whole life.

It was tough for them but they know I’m 34, I’ve got so many other goals and ambitions in my life and I’ve got a little baby on the way which is so exciting.

I know it’s the right time to retire.

Once I got back to my hotel after day two I spoke to my wife, Kyly, and then I went straight up to Warnie’s room.

My mind was made up, but sometimes you look for that security that I wasn’t just making the decision on emotion.

That I was making the right decision for the right reasons.

Kyly and Warnie both gave me that support.

Michael Clarke with his grandfather Ray Fox. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Warnie definitely tried to present the other side of the story to me because through my whole career he’s never wanted me to regret anything.

He asked if I made a hundred in the next game would that change things? What if you do win the next Test, would that change things?

Kyly was asking me similar questions.

She sees how much I’ve given to this game on a daily basis. Even that morning she’d seen me get out of bed at 5.30am, the same time as always to go and have treatment.

She still saw this hunger inside me to do all this work and asked if I was sure I was ready.

The answer is I am ready.

What I’m most proud of is that right up to the last day of my career I can look myself in the mirror and say that I have left nothing in the tank in terms of my work ethic and trying my best.

I’ve never gotten lazy. Even over these next few days, I’ll chill out and sit out this tour match against Northampton, but come training time, I’ll be back in the nets.

I’m determined to score runs in this last Test match.

Michael Clarke of Australia with family (l-r) grandfather Ray, mother Debbie, Michael, father Les and grandmother June after Clarke made 151 on debut against India in 2004.

My fondest memories are the team milestones and the greats I got to play with.

The way we fought and won the big tournaments like World Cups and Ashes series, that’s what’s special.

I’d like to thank everyone, whether it be the players I played with, or the players I played against.

The coaches and support staff that have helped me all the way along, from the indoor centre at Liverpool to the Western Suburbs Cricket club, NSW and Australia.

To all the fans that come to the game or watch from their lounge rooms, thank you.

I’d like to congratulate Alastair Cook and the England team on the way they outplayed us in this series.

Leaving with a win for the team at The Oval is very important to me, then after that, maybe I can look forward to being like everyone else and cheer the boys on sitting at home on the couch.