Thorpe has enjoyed 18 years playing with Surrey

He retired from international cricket after being left out of the England side for the current Ashes series.

"I have decided the time has come for me to retire," the 36-year-old Surrey player told the Mail on Sunday.

"It is an emotional moment and there are many things I will miss, but I feel comfortable that this is the right decision," he added.

Thorpe, who scored 6,744 runs during his 100-Test career, was left out in favour of Hampshire's Kevin Pietersen for the Ashes series, which is currently tied at 1-1 ahead of the fourth Test.

He is available for Surrey until the end of the season and will take up a coaching position in Sydney next year, but a long-standing back problem means he will play only in an emergency.

"In purely physical terms, I don't want to go through another season of taking painkillers and having injections for my back," he said.

"There is no point carrying on for the sake of it. I just haven't got that much left in the tank."