England’s Woakes retires from international cricket

Chris Woakes, an England all-rounder, has left his international debut after missing this winter’s Ashes squad.

For his nation, the 36-year-old played 62 Test matches, 122 one-day internationals, and 33 T20s.

Woakes was a member of the England team that won the 50-over 2019 World Cup and the T20 World Cup in 2022, respectively, in a heart-felt final at Lord’s.

The Warwickshire international made his Test debut in the final match of the 2013 Ashes series in 2011 and made his England debut in a T20 match.

Woakes was a member of England’s 2-2 draw against India this summer in a gripping Test series.

On the fifth day of the fifth Test, he allegedly had a dislocated shoulder and came out swinging with his left arm in a sling on the following day.

Woakes comes away with a Test record of 192 wickets on a 29.61-plus average and 2, 034 runs on a 25.11-percentage.

He took 31 wickets and registered 147 runs in T20s, while taking 173 wickets and registering 1,524 runs in ODIs.

He wrote on social media that “I have always wanted to play for England and have always dreamed in the back garden,” and that it is incredibly fortunate to have lived out those dreams.

I’ll look back on the greatest pride when I wear the Three Lions, wear it, and play with team-mates for the past 15 years, many of whom have become lifelong friends.

Making my Australian debut in 2011 seems like yesterday, but time fly when you’re having fun.

I never imagined it would be possible to win two World Cups and play in one incredible Ashes series, and those memories and celebrations with my team-mates will stick with me forever.

Woakes took 19 wickets in his three matches for the Ashes in 2023, earning the Compton-Miller Medal, which is given to the series’ player.

Chris Woakes is one of the best players to have played cricket, according to Rob Key, England’s managing director.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson, two of England’s greatest bowlers of all time, have had an extraordinary career.

“A man who, even before he entered the field, helped every team he played for.”

In a statement, ECB chair Richard Thompson stated that Chris’s expression of his concern for playing for his country and being the best team-mate he could be reflected how passionately he was about winning a test match this summer.

He has always excelled off the field, having the skills and unwavering determination to win on it, and he has consistently performed exceptionally well on the biggest stage with bat and ball.

“I want to thank and congratulate Chris for everything he has done in an England shirt for the past 14 years,” he said. “We are indebted to have players like Chris represent England.”

When India won their first series of matches in England this summer, Gautam Gambhir praised Woakes as the “man with an iron will.”

There was a haze that Chris Woakes’ final appearance in an England shirt would be his final appearance when he batted against India with his arm in a sling.

Whether or not he made it to the Ashes, or not, it appeared as though England would want to take a different course at the start of the summer. Even so, it still seems incredibly cruel that such a successful career ended in that manner.

The achievements of Woakes would have gained more respect in other times. His misfortune came at the same time as Ben Stokes and James Anderson faced off against Stuart Broad in the new-ball division.

Woakes went on to become one of the most deadly bowlers to play in English conditions after being accused of not being quick enough to make his Test debut in the fifth Ashes Test. Although Anderson and Broad’s struggles abroad were well known, Anderson and Broad’s home average of 23.87 is superior.

He had few peers at Lord’s, which was the most well-known ground. Only five other men have recorded Test hundred, five-wicket haul, and 10-wicket hauls at the cricketing establishment, which is all among Woakes’.

Woakes has witnessed it all during a time of English cricket’s ups and downs. One of only four players in the 50-over World Cup final of 2019 and the T20 final in 2022 was in that golden era of white ball cricket, when England were simultaneously world champions in both formats. He is one of only six England players to have won both World Cups and the Ashes overall.

His departure marks a further departure from the group that dominated the England team’s starting lineup for the majority of the previous decade. Jos Buttler is currently only in the white-ball set-up, while Moien Ali has retired, Jonny Bairstow is no longer popular. Stokes and Mark Wood are getting closer to the end than the beginning, Anderson and Broad are gone. At least Joe Root appears to have plenty of time left.

Perhaps that unforgettable moment at The Oval was a fitting farewell to the ultimate team man, but it is unfortunate that Woakes will not receive a proper send-off.