“I’ve gone through an extensive testing process,” Hastings told The Age. “I suppose the important thing to note is that I’m actually in good health. I’ve gone through stress tests and bronchoscopes, and angiogram bronchoscopes and all this sort of stuff. It’s been quite invasive, and lengthy I guess. “It’s [only] when I bowl. The pressure at the crease, little blood vessels in my lungs burst. “That determines that I cough up blood on a regular basis when I’m trying to bowl. It’s a really scary thing. John Hastings celebrates a wicket with the Melbourne Stars. Credit:AAP

“I’m training now, doing F45, lifting weights or boxing it doesn’t happen. It’s really only the pressure of the actual landing of bowling. “There was just a lot of gray area surrounding long-term health, whether it was causing any damage, and if there was any potential to have a fatal bleed on the field. They just really couldn’t say yes or no. And I wasn’t happy with that.” The decision to retire wasn’t an easy one to make, but it would have been a lot harder had Hastings been in his early 20s rather than his early 30s. He also didn’t want to stuff around the Sixers. He’d already announced a month ago that he was out for the summer, and with no more clarity around the issue, he decided it wasn’t worth allowing the issue to drag on any longer. He paid tribute to wife Briannan, his mum, friends, managers Gerard Sholly, Tony Box and Craig Kelly from TLA, and the Sixers. John Hastings bowls for Australia in 2016. Credit:Themba Hadebe

“It was a pretty tough little period, the last five or six months, but I’ve come to terms with it now, and I’m pretty comfortable with where it’s all at. “I would have loved a Big Bash title. That would have been unbelievable because I think it’s an amazing competition. And we had our chances with the Stars throughout the years. [But] it wasn’t to be.” Suddenly Hastings has a lot of spare time to fill this summer. Some of that will be filled by media commitments. It’s fair to say Hastings has been getting around this summer, doing work for Fox Sports, the ABC, SEN, RSN and Triple M, as well commentating on Cricket Victoria’s live stream of the shield. Hastings was part of the squad that won the 2008-09 Sheffield Shield. Credit:Vince Caligiuri He has already learned the hard way that being on the other side of the fence isn’t necessarily great for enhancing popularity. In September last year, Hastings publicly questioned whether close friend Steve O’Keefe deserved his Australian Test recall. Their relationship hasn’t been the same since.

"I'm not going to run with something that's not there. "It was a tough initiation into the media. [But] I wouldn't have said anything that I wouldn't have said to him." Hastings has strong views on the game and wants to help Australian cricket during this time of flux. He notes that the game in Australia lost its way when selectors put potential ahead of performance, and has concerns that the Big Bash League has expanded to a full home and away season too quickly, especially given other T20 competitions are offering more money for less work. Loading He also looks back at a training session when he was a youngster with NSW, and notes how valuable it was to have the likes of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Matthew Nicholson and Nathan Bracken beside him. Due to time and management constraints, Hastings suggests modern players - himself included - don't play enough grade cricket, and he is keen to give back to the grassroots.

He won’t say no to anything, keeping an open mind to coaching and administrative opportunities. Meanwhile, he and Briannan, along with her cousins, are starting a cafe in Frankston South, where they live, due to open early in the new year. “That’s going to be called 'Mr Frankie'. “I’ll be in there helping out, trying to sell some coffees, and we’re just going through the process of liquor licensing. There’s an opportunity in the market down there to provide something fresh, new and fun.” Reflecting on his career, Hastings is, of course, proud of the fact he played a Test for Australia - against South Africa at the WACA in late 2012, Ricky Ponting’s Test farewell. Hastings almost didn’t play that match, winning a line ball selection decision over Josh Hazlewood, before taking the wicket of AB de Villiers and having Hashim Amla dropped off his bowling in the South African first innings. But scampering to get off the mark batting, Hastings sustained a bulging disc in his back, and duly took a battering in the second innings as the Proteas piled on the runs.