Phil Jaques to leave Australia for Yorkshire

Former Test opener Phil Jaques will retire from Australian first class cricket at the end of this season to join English county side Yorkshire.

Jaques, who will join Yorkshire as an English player on a U.K. passport, said on Tuesday he was sad to be leaving Australian cricket, but had made the decision for family reasons.

"I walk away with no regrets knowing that I have given 100 percent every time I have walked onto the ground and I will continue to do this until the end of the season," he said.

The 32-year-old played 11 Tests from 2005-2008 and boasted an impressive record, before a back injury hampered his bid to establish himself at the international level.

Jaques scored three hundreds and 902 runs at an average of 47.47 in his brief time in the Australian team. He has played 77 first class matches for New South Wales, amassing 5659 runs at an average of 41.30 with 14 centuries.

"Phil has made an outstanding contribution to the NSW team over the past decade and we wish him all the best as he continues his playing career with Yorkshire in the English County Competition," Cricket NSW chief executive David Gilbert said.