Chris Woakes announces retirement from international cricket

England fast bowler Chris Woakes announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday (September 29) with immediate effect. His decision comes days after being excluded from England's Ashes squad. The 36-year-old made the announcement on the social media through a long and emotional Instagram post.

"The moment has come, and I've decided that the time is right for me to retire from international cricket," wrote Woakes on his Instagram 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 teammates over the last 15 years, many of whom have become lifelong friends, are things I'll look back on with the greatest pride."

Known predominantly for his exploits in Test cricket, Woakes's England debut ironically was in white-ball cricket. In the white-ball leg that followed England's victorious Ashes campaign in Australia in 2010-11, Woakes made his ODI and T20I debuts. It wasn't until 2013 that Woakes was capped in Test cricket but since then, he was a huge part of England's bowling attack, especially at home where he was one of the most threatening bowlers to face. Woakes's ability to maximise swing and seam movement made him unplayable when conditions favoured the fast bowlers.

Woakes featured in 62 Tests and picked up 192 wickets at an acceptable average of 29.61 and strike-rate of 58.40. Of these, 148 wickets came at home from 39 Tests at a brilliant average of 23.87 and a phenomenal strike-rate of 47. Woakes was a beast in English conditions and his batting credentials only added to this value. However, he wasn't the same bowler away from home and that is one regret Woakes will have as he bids farewell from the game. He picked just 44 wickets from 23 away Test, averaging a horrific 48.80 with a strike-rate of 112. These numbers are why England seldom played him in away Tests and also the reason why he was left out of the Ashes squad.

"Making my debut in 2011 in Australia seems like yesterday, but time flies when you're having fun. Lifting two World Cups and being part of some amazing Ashes series is something I never thought was possible, and those memories and celebrations with my teammates will stay with me forever.

"To my Mum and Dad, my wife Amie and our girls Laila and Evie, thank you for your unwavering love, support and sacrifices over the years. None of this would have been possible without you.

"To the fans, especially the Barmy Army, thank you for the passion, the cheers and the belief. To my coaches, team-mates and everyone behind the scenes both with England and Warwickshire, who helped me play for my country - your guidance and friendship has meant the world.

"I look forward to continuing to play county cricket and exploring more franchise opportunities in the near future."

Woakes was also a shadow of his own self in the five-match Test series against England at home this year. He could only manage 11 wickets despite playing every match in the series and averaged 52 with the ball with a strike rate of 98.70. His under-performance was a key factor behind England's inability to win the crunch moments against a rookie Indian Test side. Eventually the series ended 2-2 with India's thrilling win in the final Test at The Oval where Woakes also suffered an injury in the first innings.

Woakes's batting was hugely under-rated and he was an effective bowling all-rounder for England. Armed with a solid batting technique, Woakes bailed England out of crisis situations many-a-time. His presence lower down the order lengthened the batting order and he could be considered a genuine all-rounder in home conditions, given how devastating he was with the ball and handy with the bat. With age catching up and a few overseas assignments coming up, it isn't hard to see why England didn't pick him for the challenging Ashes trip Down Under. Australian pitches don't suit his style of bowling and with England looking to the future, Woakes knew that his time was up.

While he was a great part of England's Test fortunes, the bigger milestones in Woakes's career came in limited-overs cricket. He played a huge part in England's first-ever ODI World Cup title in 2019 and their T20 World Cup win in 2022. In white-ball cricket, his bowling was more about utilising the new-ball and then mixing up his pace with the older ball to good effect. For someone who didn't have a lot of variations to succeed in limited-overs cricket, Woakes made full use of his skill set to deliver the goods for England.

Last week, England's chairman of selectors Rob Key had made a clear explanation on Woakes's non-selection for the Ashes.

"It's been as tough a time for someone, I think, in cricket terms, the timing of it (shoulder injury) as much as anything else, and the chance of reoccurence for the immediate future for Chris Woakes," said Key during the squad announcement.

"He was running out of time to be ready for the start for the Ashes. And then once you get out of an Ashes series, you're often looking at the next cycle, really. So Chris Woakes isn't in our plans at the minute… at all."

Unfortunately for Woakes, his final memories in an England shirt will be about his shoulder dislocation and how he bravely came out to bat one-handed in an attempt to get England a win.