Colly adds Gilchrist tribute

Paul Collingwood thinks Adam Gilchrist had a huge influence on the game © Getty Images

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Adam Gilchrist's retirement from international cricket will affect Australia's Ashes preparations on and off the pitch, according to Paul Collingwood.

Collingwood paid tribute to Gilchrist, who wants to spend time with his family after next month's triangular series against India and Sri Lanka.

"Thank God for that," joked the England batsman and one-day captain.

Gilchrist, 36, made his announcement the day after overtaking South Africa's Mark Boucher and becoming the record holder for most Test dismissals by a wicketkeeper.

An edge from India skipper Anil Kumble off Mitchell Johnson was Gilchrist's 414th scalp, yet it is his explosive batting that set him apart.

"He's amazing," said Collingwood. "From the start of his career he played with freedom, expressed himself and had no fear of failure.

"What many people didn't see was that he was a great bloke - he will be missed in cricket.

"His keeping was world-class as well and he set the benchmark. It's been difficult for other sides to find a similar Gilchrist-type player."

His replacement for next year's Ashes is expected to be Brad Haddin, who has been blooded in the one-day squad in the same way Gilchrist was when he was groomed to take over from Ian Healy.

Brad Haddin is expected to take over from Gilchrist behind the stumps © Getty Images

Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer have also retired from international cricket in the last year, and Collingwood feels Gilchrist will likewise leave a huge void.

"It depends how well the replacement does, whether it is Haddin or someone else," said Collingwood.

"They are big players for Australia. When you lose Warne, McGrath and now Gilchrist - they are hard to replace.

"Not just on the pitch but in the dressing room as well. We found out ourselves, you need those big, strong characters in the dressing room to be successful.

"It will take some time for them to replace him."

Gilchrist is credited with changing expectations of wicketkeepers batting at seven, a role England have struggled to fill since Alec Stewart retired.

Gilchrist combined both tidy work behind the stumps and the ability to change a match with his belligerent batting. Against England last winter he struck a 57-ball century in Perth, one delivery short of Viv Richards' world record.

Collingwood said: "You know when he gets in that kind of mood he's very difficult to stop. Every ball is an area where he hits it well and it comes off the middle of the bat.

"There were a couple of times in his career when he had a run of low scores, but he never changed the way he played and he went out and had a go, and he was very successful at it."

Part of Gilchrist's apprenticeship was in England - he spent a summer with Richmond in Surrey, and helped launch the Adam Gilchrist scholarship with the club later in his career.

He also toured England with Australia A before making his Test debut in 1999.