Cricket stars react to Alastair Cook's impending retirement
Following the news that Alastair Cook will retire at the conclusion of the current Test series with India, we take a look at how the world of cricket has reacted to the announcement.
"Alastair has been the rock of England's batting for the last 12 years since he made his debut and while we are all sad to see him retire, we must rejoice in what he has done for our country. His record is unsurpassed in terms of runs and the commitment he has showed for every team he has played for. He has been a beacon for our sport as a person and as a cricketer. He is a genuine legend of English cricket." - Graham Gooch
"Talking about pure opening batsman, Cook is certainly the greatest run-getter that we've had and right up there with the best ever batsman we've ever had. [career highlight] In 2012 England won a four-match series in India and Cook himself got three consecutive hundreds and set up the series beautifully. He could play spin and he was a top-class player of quick bowling. A top-class all-round player." - Mike Atherton
"160 Test matches at the top of the order against the Dukes ball. To carry on this long, you'd think somewhere along the line you would lose form or fitness. Mentally the toughest cricketer I've ever known. Huge credit to the lad, he's been England's best player, he's been a truly remarkable cricketer. The game and the country are very proud." - Nasser Hussain
"He never flinched any challenge that came his way, he faced the fastest bowlers in the world and went to India and faced the best spinners there have been. He's scored so many important runs but I suppose the highlight of his career would be in Australia where he scored double century to help England win the Ashes under Andrew Strauss. He had unbelievable concentration and dedication and even in more recent years, he was still one of the fittest members of the team." - Bob Willis
"That record of over 12,000 runs, if someone breaks it they're very, very good players - but it will take a long, long time to get there.That's the amazing thing - every time in the last-chance saloon he's come out and showed what a mentally strong player he is, but also what a fine player he is. The combination of what Cook has, both talent and mental strength, has meant he's played for a very long time and has broken every single record going." - Alec Stewart on BBC Radio 5 Live