Sawt Falasteen - England bowler Woakes retires from international cricket

Woakes's final match was last month against India at the Oval, where he walked out to bat one-handed with his arm in a sling, having dislocated his shoulder in the field.

He did not face a ball as India won by six runs to level the series at 2-2.

That injury ruled him out of consideration for this winter's Ashes tour to Australia and, at the age of 36, effectively brought down the curtain on his England career.

Rob Key, managing director of men's cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board, said last week that Woakes was unlikely to feature again.

"The moment has come, and I've decided that the time is right for me to retire from international cricket," all-rounder Woakes wrote in an Instagram post.

"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."

Woakes took 192 wickets in 62 Tests and scored more than 2,000 runs at an average of more than 25.

England face Australia in a five-Test series starting in Perth on November 21.

Z.AlNajjar--SF-PST