5 Cricketers who called it a day too soon

Playing for the nation is often something that every sportsman would cling to for as long as possible. However, like any other sports cricket is also a game where a lot of factors decide the length of a player’s career. Determination, discipline, and flexibility are a few of them, while there are many others too.

While the game has seen legends like Sachin Tendulkar who went on to represent their country for almost 24 years, there have also been a few who called it a day quite early. Some especially at a time when their career was at a peak. Who knows what would’ve happened had they carried on a bit longer? Across the following slides, we look at five whose decision took the world cricket by a shock:

1. Graeme Smith

One of South Africa’s youngest captain and a cricketer who lead his side more often than any other in history, Graeme Smith said goodbye to the game at the age of 33. Taking into account his phenomenal statistics in Test cricket wherein he amassed 9265 runs at an average of 48.25 with 27 centuries to his credit, one would have surely felt that he still had a good two-to-three years of cricket left in him.

However, the left-hander didn’t quite feel the same as he signed off from the game after representing the proteas in 117 Tests and 197 ODIs.

2. Zafar Ansari

Zafar Ansari, took the world cricket by a surprise a few days back as he announced his retirement from the game at an age of 25 only to pursue a career in law. At a time where probably few start their journey, the Englishmen decided to leave in order to pursue other ambitions away from the sport.

Zafar Ansari had made his Test debut for England in last October and since then he went on to play three tests for his side. The left-handed batsman had studied throughout his playing career and was awarded a double first from Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in social and political sciences in 2013 and then a Masters in history from University of London’s Royal Holloway college last year. Zafar Ansari has played 71 First-class games scoring 3009 runs and has 128 wickets to his credit.

3. Brendan Taylor

Taylor started playing for Zimbabwe when cricket in their nation was going through a period of slump. Starting at an early age, he was a prolific run-scorer who single-handedly held the ship of Zimbabwean cricket. At an age of 29 when he was at the peak of his powers having scored two consecutive tons, Brendan Taylor shocked the cricketing fraternity as he decided to hang his boots.

Later on, he revealed concerns about his financial future were behind his retirement from international cricket. Perhaps, one of the greatest players to have ever represented Zimbabwe, he went on to play 23 Tests and 167 ODIs scoring 1493 and 5258 runs at an average of 34.72 and 34.82 respectively.

4. Jonathan Trott

A South African-born who played for England, Trott announced his retirement at an age of 32. However, he came back to play against West Indies after 18 months only to call it a day again. At one point in time, he became one of the most dependable batsmen for England before stress took the better of him.

His record is phenomenal, having played 52 Tests and 68 ODIs scoring 3835 and 2819 runs at a staggering average of 44.08 and 51.25 respectively. One would surely feel, Trott had at least couple of more seasons ahead of him.

5. James Taylor

Taylor’s career, unfortunately, came to a sad and sudden end as he was forced to retire in April 2016 at the age of just 26.  He was diagnosed with a serious but rare heart condition known as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) which during vigorous exercise can turn out to be life-threatening. He ended up playing 7 Tests and 27 ODIs for England.

Born on January 6, 1990, James William Arthur Taylor made his first-class debut in 2008 for Leicestershire and made major impressions in his first campaign itself. He was the youngest Leicestershire one-day centurion and first-class double centurion. In 2009, Taylor also became the youngest player in Leicestershire’s history to score 1,000 championship runs in a season.