Alastair Cook announces retirement from cricket after stunning England and Essex career

Former England captain Alastair Cook announced his retirement from cricket on Friday after deciding against seeking a renewal of his contract at Essex, his long-time county team.

The left-handed opener had already retired from the international game in 2018 after hitting 12,472 test runs, the most by any English batter and fifth on the all-time list, behind Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid.

Cook’s contract expired at Essex at the end of the recently completed domestic season.

‘For more than two decades, cricket has been so much more than my job,’ said the 38-year-old Cook, who has done media work on TV and radio since ending his England career.

‘It is the right time for this part of my life to come to an end. I have always given absolutely everything I possibly have to be the best player I could be, but now I want to make way for the new generation to take over.’

In a statement announcing his retirement from top-level cricket, Cook put his hand up to continue at the lower end of the game.

‘I hope the Bedfordshire Farmers will find space for a has-been “allrounder”‘” somewhere in their lower order,’ he wrote.

Cook played 161 tests, 59 of those as captain. The England and Wales Cricket Board described him as a ‘titan of the game.’

His ‘legacy will not just be embodied in the numerous run-making records he achieved, but also in the leadership and grace that he always displayed during a long and distinguished career,’ ECB chief executive Richard Gould said.

‘He is a role model in every sense of the word and it has been an enduring privilege to witness his extraordinary talent and determination for both England and Essex.’