The decision to end one's international career is never easy. When a player considers hanging his boots from the highest level, emotions are always present. However, a clever player will be aware when the tank is empty of fuel. Knowing when one's time is up is crucial, and getting high is always advised. Let us look at cricketers who retired very late.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
At the age of 40, Sachin Tendulkar made his retirement announcement. Winning the World Cup was Tendulkar's goal. The 2011 World Cup allowed The Master Blaster to realize a lifelong dream. Even after receiving the prized trophy for his trophy cabinet, he decided to keep playing. Almost all the records in existence belong to Sachin Tendulkar. However, at the end of his career, Sachin's performance had begun to decline. In actuality, he had always been going to decide to retire on his own.
2. Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka played the sport till he was 41 years old and his final match was in 2011. One of the aggressive batsmen who participated in the game was Jayasuriya. But the left-performance hander's unhindered part of his career fell short of expectations. Therefore, he ought to have made his international retirement announcement earlier. In 110 Test games, the left-hander scored 6973 runs. He played in 445 ODIs and totaled 13430 runs. In actuality, Jayasuriya took 323 wickets in ODIs for the international team. The southpaw batsman represented the Island nation in 31 T20 Internationals.
3. Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi of Pakistan repeatedly declared his intention to retire, yet he kept rejoining the international team. Afridi always preferred to get going quickly and launch an immediate offensive on the opposition. Although the legendary Pakistani all-rounder played until he was 34 years old, he was not at his best toward the end of his career. However, in 398 One Day Internationals, the former Pakistani captain scored 8064 runs. The leg spinner contributed significantly to the team's victory by taking 395 runs in his One-Day career.
4. Chris Gayle
Windes Chris Gayle continues to compete for the Windies. He does, however, typically compete in several leagues across the world. Gayle is past his prime and hasn't consistently performed well for the Caribbean region. Additionally, the aggressive southpaw hitter is not physically fit. Gayle has never taken pleasure in dashing singles between the wickets. The left-handed batter has played 103 Test matches and accrued 7215 runs throughout that time. In 301 ODI games over the course of his career, Gayle has scored 10480 runs.
5. Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan should hang his boots from the international circuit since he has little chance of making a comeback. The Punjab tweaker is 39 years old right now. The legendary off-spinner has participated in 103 Test matches, winning 417 of them. Additionally, he participated in 236 ODI games for the India National Cricket Team, taking 269 wickets. The Turbanator played for the Men in Blue in 28 T20Is during which he claimed 25 wickets.
6. Imran Khan
Pakistan's best captain may be Imran Khan. He is renowned for his suave demeanor and attitude. He made his Pakistani debut in 1971, and after the 1987 World Cup, he initially proclaimed his retirement. However, President Zia ul Haq convinced him to come back, and he did it magnificently by winning the World Cup in 1992. He ultimately decided to retire at the age of 41.
7. Javed Miandad
The greatest batsman in Pakistani history is Javed Miandad. One of the best batters in history, Miandad is well-known for his last-ball six to Chetan Sharma in a 1986 match against India. Miandad, like Imran, came out of retirement, but only for ten days until Benazir Bhutto, the then-prime minister of Pakistan, pushed him to stay with the team till the 1996 World Cup. At the age of 40, Miandad's career came to an end.
8. Carl Hooper
Three weeks before the 1999 World Cup, this former West Indies player startled the cricketing world by calling it quits. He later came back in 2001. Like Simpson, Hooper joined the squad again and led the West Indies at the 2003 World Cup. Hooper was kept on the squad, but he wanted the young player to take his place, so he withdrew and eventually quit the sport at the age of 40.
9. Gautam Gambhir
According to Gautam Gambhir, "the most difficult decisions are typically done with the heaviest of hearts," he declared in December that he was quitting all forms of cricket. The 37-year-old Gambhir last competed in a Test match against England in Rajkot in November 2016. His final professional game was against Andhra in the Ranji Trophy match for Delhi. On April 11, 2003, he played his first ODI for India against Bangladesh in Dhaka. Gambhir will be remembered for his vital performances in the finals, which allowed India to win both the 2007 World T20 and the 2011 ICC World Cup.
10. Kevin Pieterson
After numerous retractions, one of England's best batsman, Kevin Pietersen, called it quits in professional cricket following the third season of the Pakistan Super League in March. The 38-year-old finally announced his retirement by posting a picture of himself on Instagram with his son before departing to join the Quetta Gladiators in Dubai. Following disagreements with the team management, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) benched the batsman in 2012 and once more in 2014. Because of his flamboyant batting and outspoken personality, he remained a durable figure in international cricket.
