Knight bows out of one-day game

Nick Knight, England's most successful one-day batsman, yesterday followed Nasser Hussain and Andrew Caddick to become the third member of England's 2003 World Cup squad to announce their retirement from limited overs cricket.

In a career that started with two stunning centuries in his second and third appearances for England against Pakistan in 1996, Knight played exactly 100 one-day games for his country, the last of which was the defeat against Australia in the World Cup which ultimately knocked them out of the tournament.

Knight will never be viewed as one of the prettiest batsmen to have played one-day cricket, but the 33-year-old left-hander had a game plan that worked to such an extent that he scored five centuries and amassed a total of 3,637 runs at an average of 40.41. Such figures place him fifth in the list of England run scorers in one-day cricket and only one player, Dennis Amiss, who averaged 47.72 in 18 matches, has averaged more than the Warwickshire opener.

Knight, who has recently been troubled by knee problems, said: "I have been thinking about it for some time, in the sense I was desperate to play in the World Cup having missed out on the last one.

"I have had a fantastic time and enjoyed every moment of it. The trip to Australia and the World Cup was a watershed for me. It was the moment I realised it was the right time to call it a day. I have other challenges and it will be nice to spend some time at home and put a bit back into Warwickshire."

The news came as a surprise to David Graveney, the England chairman of selectors. "It is a sad day for the England set-up, but I can understand his reasoning," said Graveney. "He has been a fantastic servant and leaves a big hole to fill. It was a surprise, but you have to respect players' decisions."