One of the most difficult decisions for a cricketer is to retire. Some players retire when their form drops and some retire early for other reasons. These athletes have retired from the game at a young age for a variety of reasons. This involves problems with one's physical fitness, political views, or intellectual abilities. Let us look at players who have retired early.
1. James Taylor
After receiving a critical heart ailment diagnosis in April 2016, he was forced to withdraw from all forms of cricket. He was discovered to have ARVC, a condition shared by player Fabrice Muamba. When playing for England in limited-overs cricket the previous year, Taylor was in excellent form. When he was forced to retire, he had a century that year and was averaging 42 in ODI cricket. At the age of 21, he started his international career in 2011. He had played his final match for England at age 26.
2. Craig Kieswetter
In 2015, while playing county cricket, Craig Kieswetter was extremely unlucky to sustain a career-ending injury when facing a ball from David Willey. His helmet was pierced by the ball, which also fractured his eye socket. Kieswetter performed admirably at the 2010 World T20, assisting England in taking the title. He batted just 32 times and scored 222 runs.
3. Tatenda Taibu
He was regarded as Andy Flower's natural successor, but his batting career never really took off. In all formats, he averaged 30, which was seen as respectable for a wicket-keeper at the time but insufficient in comparison to Andy Flower. Taibu acted as Zimbabwe's representative from 2001 to 2012. At the young age of 18, he made his international debut, and at the age of 28, he announced his retirement.
4. Henry Olonga
Henry Olonga, who ranks fourth on our list of cricketers who retired too soon, played his final international match for Zimbabwe when he was just 26 years old. He was the first cricketer of color and the youngest player to ever play for Zimbabwe.
5. Aaqib Javed
From 1988 to 1998, Aaqib Javed served as Pakistan's representative. The fast bowler, who made his debut at the youthful age of 16, retired at the young age of 26, ten years after his debut. He participated in 163 ODIs and 22 Test matches over that time, taking 54 and 182 wickets in each match. Despite not being found guilty, match-fixing in the 1990s destroyed his career.
6. Andrew Flintoff
Due to injury, Flintoff decided to leave the sport in 2009. His performances four years prior, when he assisted England in regaining the urn for the first time in 18 years, are arguably best remembered. He went on to win the Ashes series that year. In all forms of the game, Flintoff was an excellent all-arounder for England. Since then, he has played professional T20 cricket and achieved success as a television broadcaster.
7. Ab De Villiers
AB de Villiers retired in 2018, shocking the cricketing community because he was still at the top of his career. In 2018, his outstanding batting helped South Africa overcome both India and Australia at home. The 34-year-old also had a fantastic IPL season before announcing his retirement with the words "I am exhausted."
8. Michael Clarke
A bad stretch of performance during the 2015 Ashes led Michael Clarke to decide to retire. He would have given the Australian Cricket Team much more if he had kept playing since he averages close to 50 in Test cricket. He had already led his nation to victory in the Cricket World Cup that year, and a shift in form might be on the horizon.
9. Pragyan Ojha
It was perhaps a little unfortunate for him to be cut from the Indian cricket team at the young age of 27. In terms of wickets taken and his economy rate throughout Test matches, Pragyan Ojha has an outstanding record. He has 113 wickets at a 2.68 economy rate in just 24 games. He was unable to gain a look in due to his bowling average of 30 and Ashwin and Jadeja's ascension.
10. Munaf Patel
The Indian fast bowler Munaf Patel comes in at number 10 on our list of cricketers who took early retirement. After 2011, he was not selected for international cricket. He was only 28 years old at the time and fresh off a triumphant Cricket World Cup. He was able to move the ball any way in his prime. Patel excelled in one-day international cricket, taking 86 wickets in 70 matches.
