5 Legends who retired from International Cricket in 2018

#3 Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook

England's highest run scorer in Test cricket retired from all forms cricket after a prolonged lean patch. When he relinquished captaincy after losing 4-0 to India in 2016, he ended a 5-year tenure of leadership during which he won 24 out of 59 Tests. This is the second most for any English skipper after Vaughan (26). His 22 losses is also a record.

Scoring a hundred in his debut test against India at Nagpur, Cook finished with the most number of hundreds by an Englishman with 30 hundreds. He posed a serious threat to Sachin's record of highest aggregate in Test cricket, however, lack of form in the last couple of years and an early retirement did not help his cause.

England's most successful Test batsman, however, did not have a very good limited overs career though, playing just 92 ODIs and 4 T20Is. He also was appointed as the skipper of the ODI side and led his team to the finals of the 2013 champions trophy where they lost to India. But just before the 2015 World Cup, due to poor form as well as poor performance of the team, he was sacked as the captain of the limited overs side. Cook continued captaincy in Tests, till the 4-0 drubbing against India in 2016.

The 2-1 win against India in India remains a major highlight of Cook's captaincy career, where he led from the front with his batting, showing exceptional skill and patience. His 766 runs in seven innings in Ashes 2010-11 played a major role in giving England their first series win in Australia in 24 years.

Though his form waned in towards the end of his career, Cook will go down as one of the finest cricketers from the English soil and one of the finest openers of his era.