There are plenty of cricketers who retired early from the game. Often, it is not only a personal reason based on which a player decides to hang up his boots. Sometimes, it could be his form or other external factors, as well. Hence, there are a few cricketers who retired early from the game.
If you take the history of the game, it is around 37 or 38 years when a player usually takes his retirement. In fact, a player taking retirement at 36 is also considered pretty early. However, some prominent players quit the game even earlier. We discuss a strong XI of cricketers who retired early from the sport.
Openers: Alastair Cook and Graeme Smith (C)
When he was around 30, Cook’s stats were so brilliant that even Sachin Tendulkar’s Test records looked to be in danger. However, owing to a poor run of form, the south-paw decided to retire at the age of 33.
The greatest captain that South Africa has seen, even Graeme Smith took early retirement. The legendary opening batsman hung up his boots at the early age of 33.
Middle-Order: Michael Clarke, Kevin Pietersen, Suresh Raina and AB de Villiers (WK)
Aussie player Michael Clarke is one of the cricketers who retired early from the game. After leading Australia to a World Cup win, Clarke moved away from the game when he was 34.
While Kevin Pietersen retired at 34, Suresh Raina hung up his boots when he was 33. The Englishman’s career was filled with controversies, and the decision was expected. However, Raina’s move to retire along with MS Dhoni surprised many of the fans.
AB de Villiers could still execute a comeback, but when he retired back in 2018 at the age of 34, it was a shocker to world cricket. Every cricket fan is waiting for his comeback in the international arena.
All-Rounders: Andrew Flintoff
English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff quit the game at the age of 33. Throughout his career, Flintoff faced plenty of injuries, which was also one of the reasons why he retired from the game so early. The form was also a concern for the player. Since then, Flintoff tried his hands in other sports and is a TV presenter now.
Bowlers: Mohammad Amir, Graeme Swann, Shane Bond and Javagal Srinath
Mohammad Amir shook the cricketing world when he announced his retirement at the age of 28. For a guy who was so talented, it was an end that was not expected. Similarly, Graeme Swann retired from the game at 34. Usually, spinners long last in the game compared to players in other departments. Swann was also at the peak of his career. His retirement was a surprising decision to many.
While Shane Bond took the decision when he was 34, the Indian pacer retired from the game when he was 33. In both cases, frequent injuries were the reason which pushed them to retirement. While Bond’s career was also marred with controversies, Srinath was a clean man and is one of the best pacers to have played for India.
