Adam Voges

An attacking batsman who seemed destined to go through his career without a baggy green, Adam Voges finally earned one at 35 years of age, and became the oldest man in Test history to score a century on debut. His unbeaten 130 against West Indies in Dominica also ensured that he would be part of Australia's starting XI for the 2015 Ashes series that followed, and although he struggled for impact in the first three Tests, he managed a pair of fifties towards the end of Australia's unsuccessful campaign.

Not only did Voges retain the faith of the selectors, after the post-Ashes retirements of Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin, he was even made vice-captain to Steven Smith for the Test tour of Bangladesh in the absence of the newly-appointed vice-captain David Warner due to injury. Security concerns led to that series being postponed, but Voges made up for the lost opportunity by scoring 269*, 106* and 239 in three innings against West Indies and New Zealand in the 2015-16 season. He retired from international cricket on Valentine's Day 2017 - with an average of 61.87, the second highest for anyone after Donald Bradman among those to have played 20 matches - and then from domestic cricket a month later.

Voges' promotion to the Test side came after a remarkable 2014-15 season in which he plundered 1358 runs at 104.46 in the Sheffield Shield, including six centuries from 11 matches. His numbers were so impressive that the selectors could not ignore him for the tour of the West Indies in 2015, nearly nine years after he had first been part of an Australian Test squad. In 2006-07 he was a surprise inclusion after the mid-Ashes retirement of Damien Martyn, but Voges did not debut during that series and until his mid-30s had to settle for being an ODI and T20 international cricketer. Even in those formats he was never really a fixture in the side, although there might have been a few more appearances had he not chosen to get married rather than joining Australia on their tour of South Africa in 2009. As it happened, it took him more than six years to reach 30 one-day internationals, despite averaging in the mid- to high-40s when given the chance.

Voges had originally made his name with a 62-ball century in 2004-05, which was then the fastest in Australia's domestic one-day history. Not only did he break a record, he also clattered a sponsor's sign with one of seven sixes. Voges collected many plaudits for the innings and a $50,000 bonus for superb aim. He was named captain of Western Australia in 2012 having often filled the role previously in a stand-in capacity and was a semi-regular county cricketer during the off-season. Voges has played for Nottinghamshire, Middlesex and Hampshire. An effective T20 striker and athletic fieldsman, Voges has played in the IPL and the Caribbean Premier League, and captained the Perth Scorchers to the BBL title in 2014-15.
ESPNcricinfo staff