Andrew Flintoff has announced his retirement from all cricket after giving in to his long-standing knee injury.Flintoff retired from Test cricket after last year's Ashes victory and underwent knee surgery straight away. He hoped to return to action this season, but that was ruled out last month and he then aimed for Twenty20 stints in Australia and the IPL. However, his latest meeting with the surgeon has led to what has long seemed the inevitable decision.England's captain, Andrew Strauss, gave a warm tribute to Flintoff ahead of the third ODI against Pakistan at The Oval, the scene of Flintoff's last hurrah in the 2009 Ashes, when his direct-hit run-out of Ricky Ponting turned the tide of the decisive fifth Test. "I would just like to say on behalf of the England team we would like to congratulate Andrew on an outstanding career," he said. ""The impact he has had on English cricket has been immense.Flintoff finishes his career with a tally of 3845 runs in 79 Tests, at an average of 31.77 with five centuries and a best of 167 against West Indies at Edgbaston in 2004. He also claimed 226 wickets at 32.78, with three five-wicket hauls, the last of which came on an emotional final morning against Australia at Lord's in 2009. In 141 ODIs he finished with 3394 runs and 169 wickets respectively.
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