His first England cap came in 2001, and there were many highlights, including playing a part in England’s 2005 Ashes victory, making an Ashes double-century in Adelaide in 2006, and most notably leading England to their first-ever triumph in a global limited-overs tournament when they won the ICC World T20 2010.

He was also rated as one of the greatest fielders in the game's history, taking many stunning catches at backward point.

He scored almost 10,000 international runs all told, and remains England’s most capped ODI cricketer. His last appearances for England came in 2011, though there was a brief international return last year, playing for the World XI as international cricket returned to Pakistan.

He has been kept busy by captaining his beloved Durham, which he has done since 2012, and has even shown signs of improving with age – he hit his maiden T20 century for them last year.

"I knew this day would eventually come but it hasn't made it any easier,” he said. “although it's an emotional decision, I know that the time is right and I'm comfortable knowing that I have given every last ounce of energy to the sport.

"I have achieved so much with both Durham and England; far more than I ever imagined and I feel extremely privileged to have had such a long and rewarding career."