Paceman Chris Woakes on Monday announced his retirement from international cricket after England indicated he was no longer in their plans.
Woakes’s final match was last month against India at the Oval, where he walked out to bat one-handed with his arm in a sling, having dislocated his shoulder in the field.
He did not face a ball in his short time at the crease as India won by six runs to level the series at 2-2.
That injury ruled him out of consideration for the upcoming Ashes tour to Australia and, at the age of 36, effectively brought down the curtain on his England career.
Woakes, who made his Test debut for England in 2013, took 192 wickets in 62 games and scored more than 2,000 runs at an average of 25.
He also featured in 33 T20 internationals and 122 one-day internationals, playing a key role as England won the 2019 World Cup.
Rob Key, managing director of men’s cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said last week that Woakes was unlikely to feature again, and the all-rounder has opted to call time on his international career.
“The moment has come, and I’ve decided that the time is right for me to retire from international cricket,” he wrote in an Instagram post. He also shared the same message on his X account.
“Playing for England was something I aspired to do since I was a kid dreaming in the back garden, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have lived out those dreams.
“Representing England, wearing the Three Lions and sharing the field with team-mates over the last 15 years, many of whom have become lifelong friends, are things I’ll look back on with the greatest pride.”
The Warwickshire bowler said he looked forward to continuing to play the county game and exploring opportunities in franchise cricket.
Key paid a warm tribute to Woakes.
“Chris Woakes is one of the finest people to have played the game,” he said. “An extraordinary career carved out alongside two of England’s greatest-ever bowlers (James Anderson and Stuart Broad).
“A man who helped every team he played in, even before he walked onto the field.”
ECB chairman Richard Thompson described Woakes as a “gentleman off the field, with the skills and fierce determination to win on it”.
“The images of Chris walking out to bat with his arm in a sling to try and win a Test match this summer reflected how much he cared about playing for his country and being the best team-mate he could be,” he said.
England face Australia in the first Test of the five-match Ashes, in Perth on November 21.
