Retired Australia international Mitchell Johnson questioned his aggressive bowling style following the death of Phillip Hughes in November 2014.

Hughes passed away two days after being hit in the neck by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, his death having a profound impact on the game.

Johnson – Hughes' Australia team-mate – announced his retirement from international cricket following the second Test with New Zealand on Monday, the seamer taking 590 wickets in his career across all formats.

But since stepping away from the sport, the 34-year-old has revealed Hughes' death had a big effect on his game. 

"It still hurts to this day," he told ABC. "I think it changed the game for a while. 

"It hit me really hard because I had that Ashes series when I was bowling really fast, and I did hit players and it made me think was I doing the right thing, playing in the spirit of the game.

"But I did get over that a little bit, it's part of the game being aggressive. 

"I watched people like Curtly Ambrose, Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson and seeing how aggressive they were, it's just part of the game. 

"It was a horrific incident, I was very saddened by it all."