England's Cook announces retirement from international cricket after India series

LONDON - England's opening batsman Alastair Cook announced on Monday that he would retire from international cricket after the end of the ongoing home series against India.

Cook said that the time was right as he had “nothing left in the tank”.

The 33-year-old left-hander is England's all-time leading Test runscorer with 12,254 runs at 44.88 including 32 hundreds, while his run of 158 consecutive Test appearances is a world record.

Alastair Cook sits sixth on the all-time list of leading run scorer in Test cricket. He will move up to fifth and pass Srilanka's  Kumar Sangakara if he scores 147 runs in his final match.

Alastair Cook retires as England's record Test run-scorer, and sits sixth on the all-time list. He will move up to fifth and pass @KumarSanga2 if he scores 147 runs in his final match.#CookRetires pic.twitter.com/gu5vbhlWy9

— ICC (@ICC) September 3, 2018

But the former England captain, who has played in 160 Tests in total, has struggled for runs recently and averages a meagre 18.92 from nine Tests this year.

“After much thought and deliberation over the last few months I have decided to announce my retirement from international cricket at the end of this Test series against India,” said Cook in an England and Wales Cricket Board statement.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨

Alastair Cook has announced his retirement from international cricket.

➡️ https://t.co/AvprHaFoI3#ThankYouChef pic.twitter.com/7rOErW7W2c

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 3, 2018

“Although it is a sad day, I can do so with a big smile on my face knowing I have given everything and there is nothing left in the tank,” he added.

England took an unassailable 3-1 lead in their five-match series against India with a 60-run win in the fourth Test at Southampton on Sunday.