London, Sept 30: Veteran England all-rounder Chris Woakes has called time on his international career, announcing his retirement on Sunday through a heartfelt social media 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 wrote in his farewell message.
The 36-year-old’s decision comes days after he was omitted from England’s squad for the 2025/26 Ashes, with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director Rob Key confirming that Woakes was “not in our plans at the minute … at all.” The omission effectively signalled the end of the road for one of England’s most dependable performers across formats.
Woakes leaves behind an impressive record. He represented England in 62 Tests, 122 ODIs and 33 T20Is, featuring prominently in both of England’s historic ICC title wins in recent years — the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup. He is one of only four players, alongside Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid, to have appeared in the finals of both campaigns.