Alastair Cook, one of the best batters of his
generation and England’s top Test run-scorer, has announced his retirement from
competitive play.
Around the closing rounds of the LV= Insurance County
Championship this season, rumours abounded that Cook, 38, would be ready to
hang up his racquet. While still in contention for the Division One
championship, Essex played off the claims, saying Cook will meet with them to
decide his future at the end of the season. However, the former England captain
has already announced his choice.
“Today I am announcing my retirement and the end
of my career as a professional cricketer,” Cook said in a statement on the
Essex website.
“It is not easy to say goodbye. For more than two
decades, cricket has been so much more than my job. It has allowed me to
experience places I never dreamed I would go, be 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. Although above all, I am incredibly happy.
“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.”
At the conclusion of the 2018 summer, Cook, who made
his Essex debut in 2003, retired from Test cricket after amassing more than
12,000 runs for his nation. He made his England debut during the 2005–2006 tour
of India. Since then, he has earned 161 Test caps, captaining the team 59
times, in addition to guiding the ODI team.
Cook played for his home county for five more seasons
after retiring with a century against India at The Oval. During that time, he
helped the team win the Division One championship in 2019 and the Bob Willis
Trophy the following year. At Wantage Road last month, he made his final
appearance in the team’s loss to Northamptonshire.