By Oliver Brett

Martyn salutes his Edgbaston 2001 century, his first in a Test

If batsmen scored extra points for the style with which they executed their shots, then Damien Martyn, who announced his retirement on Friday, would be one of the best ever.

As it is, he has proved a tremendous servant to Australian cricket and departs with 4,406 runs under his belt from 67 Tests, including 13 often effortless centuries.

He was just as effective in 208 one-day internationals: in the 2003 World Cup final he played with a broken finger and crafted a memorable unbeaten 88, proving there was real substance to go with the style.

Typically, though, he was upstaged on that occasion by captain Ricky Ponting's century.

The limelight was for others; Martyn was the man who accumulated quietly in the background. Nothing was ever done at a hurry, though he could score at a fast rate.

His drives were dispatched slow-motion style, with the dreamy panache that can make batting look deceptively easy.

But the ball still reached the boundary boards as quickly as if it had been scudded through the covers a la Kevin Pietersen.

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell said: "Of all the Australians in recent times, Damien Martyn, when he was playing really well, made batting look really, really easy.

"He and Mark Waugh were the two guys who did that."

Chappell's first sight of Martyn came when the right-hander was barely out of his teens, batting for Western Australia in the early 1990s in a match against South Australia.

I actually admire Damien for making the decision to retire Ian Chappell

"He came in after Tom Moody and Geoff Marsh had had terrible trouble playing Joe Scuderi's outswinger.

"Martyn came in and hit the first one square of cover for four and the next one into the hamburger stall at the Adelaide Oval for six. I thought: 'Crikey this guy can play.'"

He was soon drafted into the Australian team but after seven Tests had reaped three half-centuries he was unceremoniously axed after Australia lost a Test match in Sydney to South Africa.

Chappell described that selectorial decision "ridiculous", and added: "There's no way in the wide world Martyn was to blame for what went on there."

He was exiled from Test cricket for six years, and even when he returned had to battle hard to stay in the side.

Finally, after his breakthrough century at Edgbaston in the first Ashes Test of 2001, he established a regular place.

His best year was 2004, which featured 1,353 runs from 26 innings, and he shone when Australia finally won a Test series in India that year.

But he was axed after the Ashes defeat in England the following year, only to work his way back into the team once again.

Martyn plays a classic drive during his 13th and final Test century

When I spoke to Martyn on the eve of the Brisbane Test he seemed more distracted than his team-mates, saying he had been dropped so many times he no longer felt under pressure.

Both in that match, and at Adelaide, his concentration looked questionable.

And he may have felt hurt that Michael Hussey was elevated above him in the batting order in the second innings in Adelaide.

But Chappell feels he has left at the right time, knowing that if he was to be dropped one more time by the selectors there would be no further opportunities for him.

He said: "I actually admire Damien for making the decision. Obviously he's not 100% happy with the way he is playing and he's got out.

"You don't need to be Einstein to know the Australian selectors were going to want to make the team young pretty soon.

"He probably felt he was near the top of the list of guys to go."

When this Ashes series is over, he may not be the only Australian veteran walking away from the game.

But by breaking free now, Martyn - Australia's quiet man - has ironically grabbed the headlines for a day.