England great Sir Alastair Cook announces retirement from all forms of cricket, pens heartfelt letter

England’s greatest batter and one of the modern-day’s highest run-scorers at the top in Tests, Sir Alastair Cook, 38, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The former England captain penned a heartfelt note, first shared by Essex on their social media handles, informing everyone of Cook's decision to bid adieu from the game he played for 20 years at the top level.

Having retired from his favourite format (Tests) in 2018, hitting a hundred in his final innings against India at the Oval, Cook appeared for five seasons for Essex since.

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Once his contract at Chelmsford expired, Cook decided against signing an extension, putting curtains down on a decorated career.

"It is not easy to say goodbye. Cricket has been so much more than my job," said Cook in a statement. "It has allowed me to experience places I never dreamed I would go, be a part of teams that have achieved things I would never have thought possible and, most importantly, created deep friendships that will last a lifetime.

"From the eight-year-old boy who first played for Wickham Bishops Under-11s to now, I end with a strange feeling of sadness mixed with pride. Above all, I am incredibly happy,” the left-handed batter noted.

Essex was waiting for Cook’s final decision after the end of the County Championship, where they finished second behind champions Surrey.

However, with the coach and most of his teammates expecting Cook to stick around for a bit longer, the England opener called it quits instead, informing his team about his decision on Thursday evening.

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"It is the right time for this part of my life to come to an end," Cook added.

"I have always given absolutely everything I possibly could have to be the best player I could be, but now I want to make way for the new generation to take over.

“I will never underestimate the privilege I have had to play cricket. I will always be grateful for what the game has given to me. Now, I hope the Bedfordshire Farmers will find space for a has-been 'all-rounder' somewhere in their lower order.”

Legend Cook’s career in numbers

Alastair Cook was one of Test cricket’s greatest openers. He made his Test debut against India (in Nagpur, 2006), hitting a hundred and entering a huge list of cricketers scoring a three-digit score on Test debut.

After serving England cricket for around 12 years, Cook ended up with 12,472 Test runs and 33 centuries in 161 Tests, 159 of them played consecutively, a world record.

Cook captained England from 2012 to 2017, leading England in 59 Tests, including guiding them to two home Ashes wins in 2013 and 2015.

Overall, Cook has amassed 26,643 first-class runs – more than anyone else currently playing cricket – averaging more than 46, with 74 hundreds.

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