Australia captain Michael Clarke has announced he will retire from international cricket after the final Ashes Test at The Oval.
Clarke, 34, has endured a torrid time with the bat in the current series and England's innings victory at Edgbaston on Saturday consigned him to a fourth successive series defeat in this country.
"The time is right," he told Channel 9.
"I want to play the last Test at The Oval and give it one more crack. I'll take so many memories away. I'm looking forward to sitting and cheering the boys on. It's the right time."
Clarke continued: "It's time for the next generation. You never want to walk away but my performances over the past 12 months have not been acceptable to me.
"I made a decision last night after I got home after the day's play.
"I didn't know until I made the decision.
"The boys were surprised, I don't think they expected me to walk away right now. I owe the game everything."
Clarke averages just 16.71 in his four innings to date this summer, with his vulnerability to the short ball now infecting his front-foot game.
He has a top score of 38 in eight innings and his career mark has slipped below 50 as a result.
Clarke retired from one-day cricket after leading his country to World Cup glory earlier this year but declared his intention to continue in the longer format despite long-standing back problems.
A major goal would have been to beat England on their own patch after losing the urn in 2005, 2009 and 2013 but he now knows he will never achieve that dream.
Vice-captain Steve Smith, seen in conversation with chairman of selectors Rod Marsh shortly after the news broke, is the man likely to inherit the reins.
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