Sir Andrew Strauss brought the curtain down on one of the most successful eras in English cricket on this day in 2012, announcing his resignation as Test captain and retirement from the game.
Strauss, 35, blamed his faltering batting form for the decision to bow out on exactly 100 Test caps as he was revered as one his country’s finest-ever leaders, an endlessly dignified presence on and off the field and a captain who led the side to success 24 times in 50 Tests.
That record places him fifth behind Joe Root, Sir Alastair Cook, Michael Atherton and Michael Vaughan as his country’s most experienced skipper and joint third in terms of matches won.
But he will primarily be remembered as a man who masterminded home and away Ashes wins in 2009 and 2010-11 and became the first England captain to get his hands on the ICC mace awarded to the world’s number one Test team.
His successor as captain was confirmed as his opening partner Cook, with Strauss starting a career in commentary before becoming the first-ever director of England cricket in May 2015 before resigning in 2018.
