England all-rounder Chris Woakes has announced his international retirement after being sidelined from the upcoming Ashes series.
Chris Woakes Retires from International Cricket
The 36-year-old all-rounder made his last international appearance in the Oval Test against India on 31 July 2025. While he was expected to be included in the Ashes 2025-26 series, the selectors overlooked him.
ECB sidelined one of the best all-rounders after he failed to regain fitness following a shoulder dislocation suffered in the fifth Test against India at the end of July.
Chris Woakes made a sensible appearance in his last international game, when he walked out to bat at No. 11 in the Oval Test against India with his arm in a sling, in a vain attempt to help secure a series-sealing victory on the fifth day.
Chris Woakes announced his retirement via his official social media profiles. His statement reads as follows:
“The moment has come, and I’ve decided that the time is right for me to retire from international cricket.
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.
Representing England, wearing the Three Lions and sharing the field with team-mates over the last 15 [14] years, many of whom have become lifelong friends, are things I’ll look back on with the greatest pride.
Making my debut in 2011 in Australia seems like yesterday, but time flies when you’re having fun.
Lifting two World Cups and being part of some amazing Ashes series is something I never thought was possible, and those memories and celebrations with my teammates will stay with me forever.
To my Mum and Dad, my wife Amie and our girls Laila and Evie, thank you for your unwavering love, support and sacrifices over the years. None of this would have been possible without you.
To the fans, especially the Barmy Army, thank you for the passion, the cheers and the belief.
To my coaches, team-mates and everyone behind the scenes both with England and Warwickshire, who helped me play for my country – your guidance and friendship has meant the world.
I look forward to continuing to play county cricket and exploring more franchise opportunities in the near future,” he said.
Pleasure has been all mine. No regrets 🏴 pic.twitter.com/kzUKsnNehy
— Chris Woakes (@chriswoakes) September 29, 2025
The right-handed all-rounder has represented England in 62 Tests, 122 ODIs and 33 T20Is and bagged 192, 173, and 31 wickets respectively. Apart from being an exceptional bowler, Woakes also scored decent runs by scoring 2034, 1524, and 147 runs respectively.
It is worth mentioning that Chris Woakes, who won two World Cups with England, was also England’s Player of the Series during the 2023 Ashes, returning to the side midway through the series to help orchestrate a draw from 2-0 down.
