Ashes hero Harmison retires from cricket

The 34-year-old has called time on his career at the end of Durham’s title-winning season, saying he delayed his announcement so as not to take any of the attention away from his county’s achievement.

Harmison spoke proudly of his success with Durham while making the news public – he was part of three Championship-winning squads – but he will be more widely remembered for his England career.

After making his Test debut against India in 2002, he would win 63 caps with a return of 226 wickets, with two Ashes wins thrown in for good measure.

His sometimes raw but often deadly right arm would take him to the top of the world’s Test rankings in 2004, and he revelled as part of England’s ‘Awesome Foursome’ that also featured Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard.

The quartet terrorised Australia during the 2005 Ashes and, apart from Jones – who plays Twenty20 only – have now all called it a day.

“I was hoping to go out on a high in my benefit year but my body has not allowed me to, and I have not made a single first-team appearance,” he said.

“With my contract up at the end of the season, I have known for a while I would be calling it a day.

“But I did not want to take the shine off such a magnificent campaign for Durham by announcing it before the end.

“I may not have been able to contribute in the way I wished, but I have at least got what I most wanted out of the 2013 season – the County Championship trophy back in the cabinet at Chester-le-Street.”

He had a loan spell with Yorkshire when his body was failing him in 2012, and his last first-class appearance was for Yorkshire against Leicestershire.