ANDREW FLINTOFF has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, aged 32.

The all-rounder has struggled with a knee injury for three years, having only made periodical appearances with the England team since being a linchpin of the successful Ashes campaign of 2005.

In a statement this morning, Flintoff said his decision “came yesterday after consultation with medical advisers.

“I was told that the problems I have been trying to overcome in rehab for the last year following the latest in a series of operations would not recover sufficiently to allow a comeback.

“Having been told that my body would no longer stand up to the rigours of cricket, I had no alternative but to retire.”

Flintoff retired from the five-day game after the 2009 Ashes, where the side regained the title from Australia, but the Lancashire was to never again play for his country at any level.

He had been keen to become “the best one-day player in the world” thereafter, and had been named in the Chennai Super Kings’ squad to take part in the Twenty20 game’s Champions League.

Last year he had been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis after micro-fracture surgery on his knee, a procedure which involves breaking bones to try and promote a healthy resurfacing.

He had hoped to be back in action six months ago but suffered relapses earlier this year, and again last month, after taking a more intensive recovery programme.