Woakes retires from England duty as a double World Cup winner and after a remarkable final act

Walking out to bat with his arm in a sling in a courageous, last-ditch attempt to win a test match for England proved to be the final act of Chris Woakes’ international career.

The 36-year-old Woakes announced his immediate retirement from international cricket on Monday, after 62 test matches and World Cup titles in the ODI and Twenty20 formats.

The dependable fast bowler was left out of England’s squad for the upcoming Ashes series Down Under after failing to fully recover from the dislocated shoulder injury he sustained during the fifth and final test against India in August. That led to those remarkable scenes at The Oval where Woakes emerged from the dressing room to a hero’s welcome from the crowd in his whites, left arm in a sling, to bat at No. 11.

He did not face a ball but ran four runs — in obvious agony — before England fell to a six-run loss and drew the series 2-2.

“The images of Chris walking out to bat with his arm in a sling to try and win a test match this summer reflected how much he cared about playing for his country and being the best teammate he could be,” Richard Thompson, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, said.

“He has been a gentleman off the field, with the skills and fierce determination to win on it, regularly rising to the occasion on the biggest stage with bat as well as ball,” Thompson said.

Woakes was part of England’s World Cup-winning teams at Lord’s in 2019 in the ODI format and in Melbourne in 2022 in the T20 game.

In test matches, he collected 192 wickets at an average of 29.61, hit one century and was player of the series in the 2023 Ashes series after helping England come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2.

He took 173 wickets in ODIs and 31 in 33 T20s.

Woakes had been hoping to make it into the Ashes squad but was overlooked, and has decided that “the time is right for me to retire from international cricket.”

“Playing for England was something I aspired to do since I was a kid dreaming in the back garden,” Woakes posted on social media, “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.”

Woakes said he would continue to play county cricket and explore “more franchise opportunities.”

Rob Key, managing director of England men’s cricket, said Woakes is “one of the finest people to have played the game.

“An extraordinary career carved out alongside two of England’s greatest ever bowlers,” Key said, referencing recently retired pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad. “A man who helped every team he played in, even before he walked onto the field.”

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