LONDON – England great Alastair Cook announced on Monday he would retirefrom international cricket after the end of the ongoing home series againstIndia, with the opening batsman saying the time was right as he had”nothing left in the tank”.
The 33-year-old Essex left-hander is England’s all-time leading Testrunscorer with 12,254 runs at 44.88 including 32 hundreds, while his run of158 consecutive Test appearances is a world record.
But the former England captain, who has played in 160 Tests in total, hasstruggled for runs recently and averages a meagre 18.92 from nine Teststhis year.
“After much thought and deliberation over the last few months I havedecided to announce my retirement from international cricket at the end ofthis Test series against India,” said Cook in an England and Wales CricketBoard statement.
“Although it is a sad day, I can do so with a big smile on my face knowingI have given everything and there is nothing left in the tank,” he added.
“I have achieved more than I could have ever imagined and feel veryprivileged to have played for such a long time alongside some of the greatsof the English game.
“The thought of not sharing the dressing room, again, with some of myteammates was the hardest part of my decision, but I know the timing isright.”
England took an unassailable 3-1 lead in their five-match series againstIndia with a 60-run win in the fourth Test at Southampton on Sunday.
The England selectors have yet to announce their squad for the fifth Testat The Oval, which starts on Friday.
But it would be a major surprise if Cook was not allowed one last Testappearance prior to his international retirement. – APP/AFP