Matt Prior ends international cricket due to tendon injury

England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after failing to prove his fitness for this season.

The veteran wicketkeeper, who won 79 Test caps, played a crucial role in England's three victorious Ashes campaigns between 2009 and 2013.

Prior has not made an international appearance since July 2014 on account of a recurrent Achilles tendon injury.

Prior said he was expecting to be fit for the 2015 season, adding that unfortunately this has turned out to be impossible and, therefore, he has had to reach this decision, the BBC reported.

The outgoing player said that he feels privileged to have been involved in an era of success for English cricket, adding that he is immensely proud of what he has done in his career.

Prior achieved a unique distinction of becoming the first England wicketkeeper to score a century on debut, smacking an unbeaten 126 at Lord's against West Indies in 2007.

Since his debut, the batsman has scored 4,099 runs at an average of

40.18, and claimed 243 catches and 13 stumpings.