Alastair Cook to retire from international cricket after 5th Test
Today, England batsman and former captain, Alastair Cook announced that he would be retiring from international cricket after the ongoing 5-match series against India comes to a conclusion. Cook has served England cricket magnificently and he is the 6th highest run-scorer in the history of Test cricket. The 33-year-old has numerous batting records to his name and will retire as a legend. Here's more.
How did the legend's career pan out?
Cook announced his arrival in the international scene with a Test ton in his debut match against India in 2006. He has played 160 Test matches, scoring 12,254 runs including 32 Test tons. His batting average of 44.88 shows he is the finest England have ever produced. Further, he played in 92 ODIs and scored 5 ODI tons. His highest Test score is 294.
The numerous records Cook has broken
He has amassed 12,000+ Test runs, the most by an Englishman. Cook holds the record for the most number of half-centuries (56) and centuries (32) by an Englishman. Further, he has the most catches by an English cricketer (173). He has played the most number of matches as England captain (59) and the most consecutive Test matches ever.
Quote from the former England skipper on his retirement
With regard to his retirement, Cook said that it comes after much thought and deliberation. He said, "I have achieved more than I could have ever imagined and feel very privileged to have played for such a long time alongside some of the greats of the English game. " Cook added that not sharing the dressing room with his team-mates will be the hardest.
The best performances by Alastair Cook
Cook's knock against India at Birmingham in 2011 was phenomenal. He scored 294 to put up a huge total of 710 for England. He was the architect of England's victory by an innings and 242 runs. His 162 against New Zealand at Lord's is also well remembered by fans. His 244* score against Australia during the 2017 Ashes was definitely one of his best.
Cook's current form could be a reason behind his retirement
The former England captain saw a slump in his form in recent Test matches and performed quite below his high standards. Cook has managed to average a mere 18.66 in his last nine Test matches. The current series also did not witness a single memorable knock from Cook, with him managing scores of 13, 0, 21, 29, 17, 17, 12.
