1 Jul 2009

Vaughan announces immediate retirement

7:32 am on 1 July 2009

England's most successful Test cricket captain Michael Vaughan has confirmed his immediate retirement after failing to regain his place in England's team for the Ashes series against Australia starting next week.

The 34-year-old Vaughan says he first thought about retirement last December, but wanted to give himself one more chance of playing against Australia.

Vaughan has been troubled by a chronic knee injury for much of his career and hadn't played for his country since resigning as captain last year.

He was the world's top ranked batsmen during England's Ashes tour of 2002/3 when he scored three big centuries in Adelaide Sydney and Melbourne.

The defining moment of his captaincy came in 2005 when he outsmarted his opposite number Ricky Ponting to win back the Ashes.