Played for their respective teams, regardless made all of us proud. Some of the cricketers are absolutely the best and very talented. Even though sometimes they did get injured, that still didn’t make them give up. No matter what they kept going, just for their respective teams. But the unfortunate part is, some of the best players retired even before they could get a proper farewell.
Here’s the list of the players who didn’t get the farewell they deserved:
1. Openers – Sehwag and Gambhir
We already are aware of how terrific the pair is. Sehwag and Gambhir gave it all and shouldered India’s opening responsibilities in the 2010s. Not only that, their performance was very important and was the major cause of India’s win back in 2007 and 2011.
Not only were they great support to the team, but also they were the perfect helping hand to the captains. But that sad fact is, their fans didn’t even know they were playing their last matches and they retired even before the word got out.
2. Middle Order – Jonathan Trott, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and AB de Villiers (wk)
English batsman, Trott was perhaps one of the most consistent and best players in the history of cricket. He also had an average of 51.25 in ODI cricket. Unfortunately, the ECB did not provide him with a grand retirement match. Or even a retirement event just for him.
Rahul Dravid, one of the most famous and well-known players from India. He quit international cricket in 2012. His last two matches were against England and Australia, and India suffered very embarrassing losses.
Similarly, Laxman also played his last match, without getting the word out. The BCCI did offer him a retirement match, but Laxman declined.
AB de Villiers did not receive a proper farewell either. Though, it wasn’t the fault of the authorities since he literally announced his retirement out of the blue which did come out as a surprise.
3. All-rounders – Shane Watson and Ryan Harris
Watson is currently the last person to retire from Team Australia. He made his last appearance for his team in the T20 World Cup 2016. But they lost the match to India, and that’s when he announced his retirement from the sport.
Harris was yet another Aussie player. He was one of the best right-arm bowlers. But back in 2015, he announced his retirement just 3 days before the first Test.
4. Bowlers – Zaheer Khan, Graeme Swann, and Shoaib Akhtar
Getting an all-rounder for cricket is a pretty difficult task. But at times the teams did end up getting gall-rounder players who actually were an asset to the entire team itself.
Khan was the highest and the best wicket-taker for India in the ICC World Cup 2011. But the main reason behind his spluttering career was his injuries. Thus he had to resign without a proper farewell.
Swann was known as one of the greatest spinners in England’s cricket history. His performance during the match against India in 2011-21 was a memorable one. But due to unavoidable circumstances, he could not resign from the ground with a resignation match.
Akhtar was selected by Pakistan for the World Cup in 2011. But he got dropped after a few games. Turns out, the match between Pakistan and New Zealand was his last match before his resignation.
