Ex-England batsman Trott to retire at end of 2018 season

Former England batsman Jonathan Trott has announced that he will bid adieu to his cricketing career at the end of the current English county season.

The 37-year-old, who made his first-class debut for Warwickshire in 2003 and notched up 17,750 first-class runs including 44 centuries, insisted that he has been thinking about this for quite a long time and that he feels that it is a correct time to retire.

"Choosing to retire at the end of the season is something that I have spoken about at length with my family and this is now the right time to look at the next chapter of my career," ESPNcricinfo quoted Trott, as saying.

Trott said that he feels proud to have played for Warwickshire throughout his career, adding that he is looking forward to contribute well in his final year.

"Warwickshire is a very special club and I've been immensely proud to have worn the Bear & Ragged Staff throughout my career. We've made a strong start to the 2018 season and I hope that I can make a major contribution to more success in my final year at Edgbaston as a player," he said.

Trott, who retired from international duty in 2015, played a total of 52 Tests and 68 ODIs and seven T20Is in his 17-year long career. He amassed 6864 runs across three formats of the game.

The former England batsman also smashed a crucial century on his Test debut in the final and deciding match of the Ashes series in 2009 as England went on to win the series with victory at The Oval.

And Ashley Giles, sport director of Warwickshire, said that Trott would be remembered as one of the county's greatest batsmen.

"Trotty will be remembered as one the greatest batsmen to have played for Warwickshire and England in the 21st century. At international level, he played a major role in one of the best England teams of the last 50 years; a team that went top of the world rankings, but which also won the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 25 years," Giles said.

Trott is currently playing in Warwickshire's third match of the county season against Derbyshire at Edgbaston.