SYDNEY, Dec 31: Damien Martyn has made his first appearance in public since walking out on the Australian cricket team midway through the Ashes series.

Martyn, whose disappearance over the past fortnight has been a constant source of speculation for local media, was spotted at the Hopman Cup tennis tournament in Perth on Saturday with his wife Annika.

Martyn did not speak to reporters but his manager, Colin Young, told Sunday Telegraph that the middle-order batsman had no regrets about quitting the team.

“'I just said to him: How are you feeling?'” Young told the paper. “He goes: Fantastic, really relaxed, just enjoying the break.'”

Martyn released a short statement on Dec 8 announcing his immediate retirement but has yet to elaborate on the reasons. —Reuters