Englands Test skipper Alastair Cook has stepped down from his role as captain, after leading his side in 59 Test matches, the most for any England captain.
"Its been a huge honour to be England captain and to lead the Test team over the past five years," confirmed Alastair Cook, quoted the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
"Stepping down has been an incredibly hard decision but I know this is the correct decision for me and at the right time for the team."
Cook was appointed as England captain back in August 2012 succeeding Andrew Strauss. He then led his team in more Test matches than any other English captain before him.
Ashes victories at home in 2013 and 2015 as well as series wins in India and South Africa were the pinnacles of his captaincy. However, Cook was facing pressure to step down after a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of India in a recently concluded away series.
"Ive had time to reflect after the India series and this weekend I spoke to Colin Graves, the Chairman, to explain and offer my resignation.
"Its a sad day personally in many ways but I want to thank everyone Ive captained, all the coaches and support staff and, of course, the England supporters and the Barmy Army who follow us home and away and have given us unwavering support.
"Playing for England really is a privilege and I hope to carry on as a Test player, making a full contribution and helping the next England captain and the team however I can."
The opening batsman remains Englands most prolific Test batsman with 11,057 runs in 140 Tests to date.
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