If he wanted to, the evergreen Shaun Udal could probably play until he's 50.

Shaggy' is as fit as anyone, although that has nothing to do with him being a good trainer!

He has his dad Robin to thank for the genes that enable him to still be one of the best off-spinners on the county circuit.

Although he is 38, it's sometimes hard to believe he's not 15 when he's larking about in the changing room.

Unlike other spinners his age, we do not have to worry about hiding him in the field because he's still agile and as good as any Hampshire player on the fitness tests.

He announced to us his decision to retire in the hotel bar before the Lancashire game last Saturday.

It was a shame he did not finish at the Rose Bowl in front of the fans that watched him for 20-odd years.

And we were unable to see him off on a winning note, despite being in a good position to do so.

But he led us on to the field at Old Trafford and we gave him a guard of honour as he came off.

Shaggy was quite emotional but for most of the day we played well, which was fitting because he is about having fun and enjoyment.

The Hampshire dressing room will not be the same without him as it is well known he is the biggest prankster amongst us.

Shaggy gets bored very easily and his mind is always thinking of the next trick to play - he is notorious for telling players the wrong time to meet the next morning.

Most have learned to ignore him but poor Daren Powell believed him when he made his debut at Durham earlier this season.

Powelly was grateful that rain delayed the start!

Shaggy is also kind hearted.

I will never forget how welcome he made me feel when I joined Hampshire in 2002. I'm very thankful to him for that, he's become one of my best mates, and I'm not the only one.

Usually young debutants are welcomed by their peers into the Hampshire dressing room but Shaggy has helped to make guys like David Griffiths and Liam Dawson very comfortable when they've made the step up this season.

As a bowler, Shaggy was underestimated. You cannot play for 20 years and be an average cricketer, and his stats speak for themselves.

I believe he is still the best one-day spinner in the country.

He gets wickets at the right time and always knows the right pace to bowl in different conditions. Although he was never a big spinner of the ball, he was very smart and a master in the flight and in varying his pace.

He used to get Andy Flower out for fun when we played Essex - he always came on when he arrived at the crease!

And we would always remind opposition batsmen at the beginning of the innings that it was game over if they did not score quick runs as Shaggy and Shane Warne were so difficult to get away later in the innings.

That would sometimes help the seamers get a few wickets because they knew they had to take risks before the spin twins were bowling in tandem.

As a character and a player, Shaggy reminds me of Clive Eksteen, a former Transvaal teammate of mine.

Clive was a very handy off spinner who should have played more for his country and did a lot of work behind the scenes for his club.

But there is only one Shaggy Udal. He will leave a big void but is a big family man so at least they will now see more of him.