Woakes retires from international cricket for England as a double World Cup winner
England fast bowler Chris Woakes announced his immediate retirement from international cricket on Monday after 62 test matches and World Cup titles in the ODI and Twenty20 formats.
His last appearance for England was a test match against India at The Oval in August, when he came to the middle with his left arm in a sling — after suffering a dislocated shoulder — in a last-ditch and ultimately unsuccessful bid to force a victory.
The 36-year-old Woakes was left out of England squad for the upcoming Ashes series Down Under after failing to fully recover from the shoulder injury 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 was part of the World Cup-winning teams in 2019 in the ODI format and in 2022 in the T20s.
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.
“I look forward to continuing to play county cricket and exploring more franchise opportunities in the near future,” Woakes said.
Richard Thompson, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, said the images of Woakes walking out to bat with his arm in a sling in his final test “reflected how much he cared about playing for his country and being the best teammate he could be.”
“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.
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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