Voges puts wife before work

Adam Voges has shown his fiancée he will stick with her in good times and bad after pulling out of Australia's limited-overs series against South Africa to get married. Voges, who played the Twenty20 against New Zealand last month, had asked to fly back to the wedding in Perth during the series and miss up to two matches, but the selectors decided not having any batting cover for the squad was too great a risk.

Voges has only played three limited-overs matches for Australia, and conceded the decision to remain in Perth could spell the end of his international career. "There's every possibility that that could be the case," Voges told AAP. "There's certainly no guarantees that I'm going to get selected again and I fully understand that and realise that.

"I spoke at length to Andrew Hilditch and Tim Nielsen and they were both really good, they were both very supportive and Andrew said this won't affect (future decision-making) in any negative fashion. So that's always reassuring to hear but he did say at the same time there wouldn't be any guarantee that there would be further selection. It's up to me now to play good enough cricket to get another chance."

Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, gave no overt indication that Voges' international future would be affected by the decision to press ahead with his wedding plans at the expense of the one-day tour of South Africa. "Adam informed us [on Monday] that he was withdrawing from the tour," Hilditch said. "Obviously this is a difficult decision for Adam to make and the panel understands the position he's in and the decision he's made."

Marcus North will stay with the squad for the two Twenty20s and five ODIs following his successful debut with the Test team in South Africa. Although North has started his Test career with a minimum of flashiness, he can lift his tempo when required and his offspin will also come in handy.

"It means there'll be one less at the wedding," Voges said. "It's a big thing to give up an opportunity to play for Australia. But I guess you only get married once and that's important to me and a decision I've made and one that I'm comfortable with."

Michael Hussey, a Western Australia team-mate of both men, said he was pleased Voges had taken the decision to stay at home for the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" of marriage. Hussey and his wife Amy found themselves in a similar position several years ago when their wedding was approaching and he said it was a difficult situation to be in.

"There was an away tour and my name was being bandied around in the media," Hussey said. "We did discuss it and she, like Adam Voges's fiancee, said you have to go if you are selected. But obviously Adam said no, no, I want to be here for the wedding. For me, I didn't have to make the decision, thankfully."

Voges will depart Australia shortly after his wedding to commence a county stint with Nottinghamshire.