Cook to sign off after final Test
England veteran Cook to retire after fifth Test against India
Alastair Cook has called time on his record-breaking England career and will bow out at the end of the fifth Test with India after admitting “there is nothing left in the tank”. The 33-year-old will make his 161st and final Test appearance at the Oval from Friday — a match that sees Joe Root’s side having already taken the series through an unassailable 3-1 lead — but will continue playing county cricket for Essex.
It will mark the end of a hugely significant 12-year chapter in English cricket for the sixth highest Test run-getter of all time, with Cook having risen from a century on debut in Nagpur in 2006 to become the country’s record run-scorer in Test cricket; his current tally sits at 12,254, along with 32 centuries.
The left-hander, who stepped down from a fouryear spell as Test captain in February last year after leading the side 59 times, has endured a challenging summer in which he has averaged just 22 and has now decided to step aside. Cook, in a statement issued a day after England’s 60-run victory over India in Southampton, said: “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.
“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. 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.
“The thought of not sharing the dressing room, again, with some of my teammates was the hardest part of my decision, but I know the timing is right.
“I have loved cricket my whole life from playing in the garden as a child and will never underestimate how special it is to pull on an England shirt. So I know it is the right time to give the next generation of young cricketers their turns to entertain us and feel the immense pride that comes with representing your country.”
Cook went on to thank his long-time mentor, Graham Gooch, whose England Test runs record of 8,900 he passed in 2015, as well as England’s supporters and his family. His wife, Alice, is expecting their third child imminently. He said: “There are too many people to thank individually, but a special mention must go to the Barmy Army and all supporters for their constant encouragement for the team and also a special mention to Graham Gooch.”
When India were doing their homework for the Test series against England, they would not have expected that a 20-year-old would make the difference with both bat and ball.
Sam Curran, who stole the thunder with valuable knocks in the lower order and timely wickets, showed that he has already the skills of a world class cricketer. He may have played in only four Test matches and a single One Day International so far, but is sure to be one of England’s most valuable players in the coming years.
For those who wonder as to how Sam created such an impact at a very young age, the answer lies in the fact that cricket runs in his blood.
He is the son of the late Zimbabwe player Kevin Curran, a right-arm fast-medium bowler and middle-order batsman who played in 11 One Day Internationals. Kevin played a vital role in Zimbabwe’s sensational victory over Australia in the 1983 World Cup.
He later went on to become the coach of Zimbabwe’s team but died at the age of just 53 while jogging in Harare in 2012.
At the time of his death, Kevin had guided all his three sons into cricket and his eldest son Tom was already playing
Surrey’s director of cricket and former England captain Alec Stewart even remarked that Sam was the best 17-yearold cricketer that he had ever seen.
for Surrey second XI while Sam had bagged the Zimbabwe junior cricketer of the year award in 2011 and also played for Zimbabwe’s Under-13 team. His third son Benjamin played for Nottinghamshire’s second XI.
Kevin had completed the 10year qualification needed for England residency just before Zimbabwe earned Test status. Sam was born in Northampton and played for Surrey Under-15, Under-17 and their second XI team.
‘Enormous talent’
So impressive was Sam’s performance that Surrey’s director of cricket and former England captain Alec Stewart even remarked that he was the best 17-year-old cricketer that he had ever seen.
A 17-year-old Sam, despite having to balance schoolwork with cricket, went on to become the second youngest player after Tony Lock to make his first class debut for the county.
Legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara, who played alongside Sam for Surrey, referred to him as a “shy young man with enormous talent” while commentating for Sky Sports.
Sam’s consistency saw him making the England Under-19 team and playing in the 2016 ICC Under-19 World Cup. He also toured the UAE with the England Lions team in 2016.
Within two years, and at the age of 19 years and 363 days, Sam made his Test debut against Pakistan at Headingley in June, 2018. When India arrived for the ongoing series, Sam had played only in his debut Test match in which he took one wicket and scored 20 runs.
In his second Test, he stunned India with a spell of four for 74 and lifted England from a batting collapse in the second innings with a fighting knock of 63 and bagged the Man of the Match award.
It was his knocks of 78 and 46, respectively, in the fourth Test at Southampton that gave England the runs to defeat India and win the series. When asked about his performance, Sam humbly remarked it was surreal to have played with his childhood heroes Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad.
He also said when Virat Kohli had pulled out of playing for Surrey, he was disappointed at missing the chance of playing with him.