Panesar, 42, was unveiled by Mr Galloway at a media event in Westminster last week, and was due to contest the Ealing Southall seat in West London at the next general election, a seat that is currently held by Labour with a majority of 16,084.

Writing at the time in the Telegraph, Panesar declared that he wanted to be "the voice for the workers of this country", adding that "my aspiration in politics is to one day become Prime Minister".

However, following a series of challenging media interviews, including one with Times Radio in which he struggled to offer a position on the UK's continued membership of NATO, he has now decided to withdraw his candidacy.

"I'm a proud Brit who has had the honour to represent my country at the highest level of cricket," Panesar wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "I now want to do my bit to help others but I recognise I am at the beginning of my journey and still learning about how politics can help people.

"So today I am withdrawing as a General Election candidate for The Workers Party," he added. "I realise I need more time to listen, learn and find my political home, one that aligns with my personal and political values.

"I wish The Workers Party all the best but look forward to taking some time to mature and find my political feet so I am well prepared to deliver my very best when I next run up to the political wicket."

Panesar, whose full name is Mudhsuden Singh Panesar, became the first practising Sikh to represent England in 2006, when selected at Nagpur in the first Test of that winter's tour of India.

Following his retirement, he undertook a sports journalism course at St Mary's University, London, and earlier this month leant his support to the Show Racism the Red Card campaign, in which he talked up the benefits of immigration in a video.

In 2021, he defended Michael Vaughan, his former England captain, after he was accused of using racist language towards Azeem Rafiq during a match for Yorkshire in 2009.