Brad Haddin, the Australian cricketer NZ loves to hate, is retiring

Black Caps' Grant Elliott and Brad Haddin exchange words during the Cricket World Cup final. Photo / Getty Images

The Aussie who New Zealand cricket fans love to hate has retired from cricket.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin announced his retirement from test and domestic first class cricket today, joining the exodus of veteran players from the Australian side after its Ashes loss.

Haddin, who retired from one-day internationals after Australia's World Cup victory in March, was left out of the third test at Trent Bridge after being granted permission to miss the second test to be with his ill daughter.

He left the Ashes tour early to return to Australia. Haddin joins Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson in retiring from test and international competition since Australia's 3-2 test series defeat in England.

The 37-year-old Haddin played 66 tests, scoring 3,266 runs at an average of 32.98, along with 270 dismissals. He will continue to play Twenty20 cricket in Australia's Big Bash League.

Haddin became a villain to New Zealand fans during his career for a number of on the field moments and off the field remarks.

In 2009 during an ODI against the Black Caps, Haddin got his gloves in front of the stumps and knocked the bails off but still claimed the wicket of Neil Broom.

In July he took a shot at the Black Caps in preparation for his side's Ashes series with England.

When suggested that the Ashes series could be played in the same spirit of courtesy and respect that was shown in the recent series between England and New Zealand, Haddin was quick to aim fire at the Black Caps.

"We are not New Zealand. We won the World Cup final. We will play the way we play, which works for us, and if you like it, you like it," said the Australian keeper.

That came after previously having aggravated New Zealanders before the Cricket World Cup final by suggesting he was shocked at the courtesy shown by the Black Caps in a prior group game.

"They were that nice to us that we were that uncomfortable," Haddin said at the time.

"I said in the team meeting: 'I can't stand for this anymore, we're going at them as hard as we can [in the final].'

"I said, 'I'm not playing cricket like this. If we get another crack at these guys in the final I'm letting everything [out].'"

- With AP