Giving up first-class cricket is a really tough decision. It is something you only do once, so I thought long and hard before ending my Hampshire career. The county has been my second home for close to a decade, but the more I looked at my schedule for the rest of this year, the more obvious it seemed to be the way to go.

The biggest reason for stepping down from international and Australian cricket after the 2006-07 Ashes was to spend more time with the kids. Now, there was a serious danger of that not happening. The last thing I wanted was to let down Hampshire. Fortunately, Rod Bransgrove, the chairman, recognised the situation.

It is not a case of putting the Indian Premier League [IPL] before my county. Yes, I am excited about coaching and captaining the Rajasthan Royals and I believe that the IPL will give a huge boost to cricket worldwide. I am giving it my full commitment, but that was only part of the decision.

Life as an international player brings great privileges. Yes, I would have done a few things a little bit differently with hindsight, but there are no complaints about the hand I was dealt. The one drawback was not being able to see my kids as often as most parents would have enjoyed.

This has been my first proper winter away from the game and being able to spend more time with Brooke, Jackson and Summer has been fantastic. I have had them for five days a fortnight and Simone has them for the other nine. Things like the school run, being around assemblies and watching them play sport have been wonderful.

The IPL spans more than six weeks even without preparation time. I also have six one-week engagements with World Series Poker and half a dozen sponsors with activities over the year, as well as fund-raising work for the Shane Warne Foundation. On the business front I have never been busier and at 38, that is the way to go.

When I threw all of that into the mix, I realised that I could not afford to give up another two months away from my family in one slab to be in England. Rod agreed. All being well, I will be able to pop in to the Rose Bowl a couple of times on shorter visits in the summer to say “goodbye” properly.

After eight years, four of them as captain, I cannot just draw a line under what has been one of the happiest parts of my life. In cricket it is not only the games you play that are important, or even the victories you achieve, but the people you meet along the way. Some of my team-mates will remain friends for life.

Dimi Mascarenhas is one example. He spent a fortnight here in Melbourne recently and I am looking forward to playing alongside him again - and watching his big-hitting - when he comes over to Jaipur. I have also become close to Shaun Udal and John Crawley, guys I knew only as opponents before 2000.

Without getting a lot of silverware, we have become pretty successful on the field. I wanted to help to create a strong environment and to instil the character in the side that would give the young players the best chance of going on to play for England, and then be successful when they take that step upwards.

Watching Chris Tremlett make his Test debut last season gave me a big thrill because he was a bowler with great natural attributes and so much talent who just needed a push in the right direction. There are others, such as Michael Lumb, Chris Benham and Michael Carberry, with the ability to follow Chris.

People forget that Sean Ervine is still young, while Liam Dawson is a promising spin bowler who will get opportunities this season. As for personal memories, I suppose my maiden hundred against Kent at Canterbury was a highlight and I always loved to see Hampshire win games that I helped to set up by taking the initiative as captain.

The last game at Northlands Road was very emotional and since then I have watched the Rose Bowl grow into one of the best grounds in the country. Now that the pitch has calmed, it deserves to host regular international cricket. The whole club has evolved on and off the field. I am proud to have played a part.