After a decorated career in which he represented Australia across all three of cricket’s formats, burly all-rounder John Hastings has officially announced his retirement.

His decision comes after being struck down by a mystery ailment in which he coughs up blood when he bowls, mystifying his doctors as to the cause and any possible cure.

There were some theories, including one that his abnormally large heart — discovered years ago during scans at the national cricket academy — was to blame.

“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.

“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.”

At 33, Hastings could’ve gone on for longer. Indeed he had signed a two-year deal with the Sydney Sixers with a view to fulfilling his desire to become a Twenty20 gun for hire.

But last month, he’d announced that he was taking the summer off due to his mystery ailment and eventually he decided he didn’t want to much the Sixers around anymore.

“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,” he told The Age.

“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.”

One of his proudest moments was playing in a Test for Australia at the WACA in 2012, in what was Ricky Ponting’s farewell match. He even managed to snare the prized scalp of AB de Villiers and also had Hashim Amla dropped off his own bowling in the first innings.

Now, Hastings will turn his attention to the media and the extensive list of organisations that he’s worked for, including Fox Sports, the ABC, SEN, RSN and Triple M.