Julian quits cricket to be TV traveller

Former Test all-rounder Brendon Julian has quit representative cricket to pursue a television career.

The 30-year-old West Australian, who made two Ashes tours but played only seven Tests in a 12-year career, will be the newest reporter on the Nine network's Getaway program.

Although Julian played just seven Tests, four were as part of Mark Taylor's triumphant side which recaptured the Frank Worrell Trophy in the West Indies in 1995.

Julian, who recently underwent knee surgery, said he began questioning himself towards the end of last season but had seriously toyed with retiring for two months.

He decided last week to quit because his heart was no longer in it.

"It's been tough but I felt it's something I needed to do," he told reporters in Perth.

Julian said he knew he would cop flak from people who believed he had not lived up to his cricketing potential, but said he never played the sport for other people.

"I played as best as I could, and sometimes it was great and sometimes it was poor, but I was out there to play cricket," he said.

"The money in cricket is very good but I don't want to be out there just playing for the money. I've always played it for the love of it."

He rates selection for the 1993 Ashes tour as the highlight of his career, but said he also had fantastic memories of winning Sheffield Shields and the 1995 West Indies tour.

"I'll always remember the `93 Ashes tour - getting a 56 not out, saving a Test match at Trentbridge with Steve Waugh, that was one that stuck out, but also getting 100 here in the Shield final with Tasmania was another one."

Not playing more Tests featured as his biggest regret.

Julian will remain based in Perth while he travels the globe with his new job. His first warm-up assignment will be a week in the Blue Mountains near Sydney.

As well as his Ashes and Test achievements, Julian played 25-one day internationals in the six years to 1999.

For WA, he played 88 first-class and 53 one-day matches.

He took 15 Test wickets at 39.93 with his left-arm pace bowling and averaged 16 runs.

In first-class cricket, Julian made 4,074 runs at 25.46 and took 434 wickets at 30.56