“It’s time to be a family man who plays cricket rather than a cricketer with a family”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Australia batsman Ed Cowan’s first-class future remains unclear after he decided not to sign with Tasmania next year.

Cowan has confirmed that he will move back to Sydney in order to spend time with his family.

“I told Dan Marsh and my teammates on Sunday that I won’t be playing cricket for Tasmania next year and it’s with a very, very heavy heart that I told them,” Cowan said. “It’s time to be a family man who plays cricket rather than a cricketer with a family.

“And that’s a very hard decision to make when cricket has been your number one priority for 15 years. But times change I guess and it’s for a purely personal reason that we’re going to be moving back to Sydney. I’m very sad but I’m confident it’s the right thing to do.”

Cowan signed a one-year deal with Tasmania last year on the condition that he and his family be relocated to Sydney for personal reasons.

Cowan is third on the list of run-scorers in this year’s Sheffield Shield as he has made 815 runs, which includes four centuries, at an average of 47.94.