Friday 14 September 2018 09:47, UK
Alastair Cook will not play for Essex during the remainder of their County Championship season, the English Cricket Board have announced.
Cook retired from international cricket this week, playing his last game for England at the Oval as they wrapped up a 4-1 series win over India.
Upon announcing his retirement, Cook stated he would continue playing for his county side, but will not feature in their remaining two games against Worcestershire and Surrey.
The 33-year-old, who made his first-class debut in 2003, signed a new three-year deal with Essex last week.
Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes are also unavailable for the final fixtures.
Buttler and Keaton Jennings have been made available for Lancashire Lightning for the T20 Blast Finals Day, while Moeen Ali is available for Worcestershire Rapids.
Ali has also been cleared to play for Worcestershire in their final fixture against Yorkshire but will miss the game against Essex next week.
James Anderson and Stuart Broad's availability for the final County Championship games has yet to be decided and will depend on their fitness and the results of next week's matches.
Jennings can play for Lancashire in their final fixture at Hampshire from September 24, while Sam Curran and Ollie Pope are both available for Surrey in their remaining fixtures against Somerset and Essex.
