Cook, who will be 37 on Christmas Day, has extended his stay at the county where he has spent his entire domestic career, until the end of the 2023 season.

Cook has helped Essex win the County Championship, the Bob Willis Trophy and this year's Division Two title since retiring from international cricket in 2018.

England's leading Test run-scorer, with 12,472, said: "I have really enjoyed my cricket here at Essex since my international retirement.

"We are lucky to have a fantastic dressing room and great coaching staff, led brilliantly by Anthony McGrath, and I'm looking forward to what is hopefully another successful couple of years."

Head coach McGrath welcomed the news and described Cook as an influential figure at the club.

"It's great news that Cookie has committed his future to Essex," said McGrath. "Alastair is still one of the best batters in the world and he's so important for us both on and off the field.

"He has the ability to take the game away from the opponents in both red-ball and white-ball cricket, and that's something every head coach wants in their team.

"He's also a great role model for the younger lads coming through and has a wealth of knowledge that all the players in our dressing room, including the senior pros, tap into from time to time."

Australian Associated Press