Steve James confirms retirement

Steve James has admitted defeat in his battle to overcome a long-standing knee injury and has announced his retirement from first-class cricket.

James, 36, had a year remaining on his contract, but after sitting out the 2003 season he was forced to bow to the inevitable when six operations failed to make any real progress. Already a regular writer on cricket and rugby, he will devote himself full-time to journalism. Aptly, he announced his decision in a Sunday newspaper.

"There are a lot of different emotions but I guess the main one is sadness," James said. "I had a serious operation last June and I knew then it was 50-50 whether I'd be able to play again. I had another year on my contract and I felt I had another couple of years in me but it's not to be. The decision was made for me."

James, who played twice for England in 1998 ("At least they couldn't call me a one-Test wonder," he once said), made his Glamorgan debut in 1985, sscoring 15890 runs at 40.63. For much of the 1990s James was one of the most prolific batsmen on the county circuit, but in recent years injury blunted his effectiveness.

He was appointed as Glamorgan's captain in 2001, leading them to the Sunday League title in his first season. He resigned last summer when it became apparent that he would not be able to play during the season.