Retiring Rogers eyes coaching future

The first thing Chris Rogers wants to do after bids farewell to international cricket this week is take a well-earned break.

After more than three months on the road with the Australian team, which came on the back of a packed home summer, rest and time away is understandably high on his agenda.

Quick Single: Rogers confirms Test retirement

But after 17 years as a professional and more than 500 matches at domestic and international level, walking away from the game entirely is the furthest thing from his mind.

"I've been in the game so long. It's kind of what I know," Rogers told cricket.com.au having confirmed that the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval, starting on Thursday, will be his last.

"Particularly batting, I love the intricacies of the technique.

"So (coaching) is something I'd like to do down the line. But I'll weigh up those options when they come."

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Rogers at Lord's, the home of his English county Middlesex // Getty

The left-hander's playing days in the Baggy Green may be almost over, but he's hoping to add to the more than 30,000 runs he's scored at domestic level before making a permanent shift into the world of coaching.

And while most of his contemporaries spend the twilight of their careers chasing the big hits and even bigger money in T20 leagues around the world, Rogers – a self-confessed "rubbish" Twenty20 batsman – has a more quaint idea of cricket post the Test arena. 

An experienced campaigner in English county cricket having played for Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and most recently Middlesex, the left-hander is eyeing off another season of first-class cricket in the UK next year.

"For the moment I think I'd just like to have a bit of a break. But I will definitely keep my options open," he said.

"I do love it over here. It's a good lifestyle and enjoyable and I'd like to think I'd be back."

But in the long-term, coaching appears to be Rogers' calling.

It's a role he's played in an unofficial capacity for years, in addition to his official role as batting coach for his Melbourne club side Prahran.

Club and state teammate David Hussey is hopeful the 37-year-old's vast knowledge of the game won't go to waste. 

"What I like about him the most is he tries to help out the next generation with their techniques and helps them out to achieve their goals as well," Hussey told cricket.com.au in paying tribute to a man he first laid eyes on as a teenager in Perth in the early 1990s.

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Hussey and Rogers during a Sheffield Shield match // Getty

"I hope (he goes into coaching). I think he'd be a fantastic batting coach for somebody.

"Hopefully he's not lost to the county game. He's spent a lot of time playing county cricket ... and I think he'd definitely fit into the state system very well, if not the youth Australian teams like Under 19s or Australia A. He'd be a fantastic acquisition."

There's strong support too from a man who has more coaching experience than most in Australian domestic cricket, Rogers' former Victoria coach Greg Shipperd.

The 58-year-old was at the helm of the Bushrangers when they poached Rogers from Western Australia in 2008, and they have since shared in three successful Sheffield Shield campaigns.

He's also observed Rogers play the role of mentor to many a young Victorian batsman, taking a hands-on approach with his teammates in addition to setting a perfect example with his deeds on the field.

In the wake of Australia's Ashes defeat, where the inability of their batsman to play late and with soft hands against swing bowling was exposed, Shipperd says Rogers will remain a valuable asset when his career comes to an end.

Blessed with an unflappable temperament and with a decade-and-a-half of experience against the moving ball, Rogers is a fountain of knowledge that is just waiting to be tapped into.

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Shipperd and Rogers celebrate Victoria's 14-15 Shield title // Getty

"He's one of those players who revels in time at the crease," Shipperd told cricket.com.au.

"As he's relaxed more into his international career there's been moments when he's played just as fluently as the guy next to him. But he does have that capacity to ride out the tough situations and there's probably a good lesson for all in terms of where to play the ball in challenging conditions.

"He plays it as best he can within his body shape and plays it under his nose. He's got a pretty unflappable temperament and he trusts his unique style.

"So there's three really vital batting characteristics there.

"He's been a great part of the progression of the Victorian cricket team but also the progression of a lot of players around him.

"With his knowledge of the game, his coolness and calmness and his attention to detail, he's been a great role model.

"With all the knowledge that he's got stored up about the game, game conditions, setting a batting plan and batting strategy, dealing with a wide range of bowlers in those conditions, he would make a terrific coach.

"I know he's got some ambitions and dreams around that area, whether it's as a specialist coach or a team coach.

"He's capable of doing both (and) I would encourage him to do so."