5 cricketers who made return to international cricket after announcing retirement
Every cricketer eventually has to retire from the game after he/she thinks that they cannot contribute to their team’s effort. Even though most of them do not make a comeback, a few cricketers in the international arena have returned to their national squad feeling that they are still good enough to play at the highest level. On that note, let us take a look at five cricketers who made their return to international cricket after announcing retirement.
5. Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
Pakistan’s veteran player Shahid Afridi had a knack for coming out of retirement and representing his country. The right-handed batter announced his first retirement in 2006 but came back in 2010. He then announced his retirement in 2011 following the 50-over World Cup. However, Afridi was once again back in the squad and played the 2015 World Cup under Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy. Afridi’s official retirement from international cricket came in 2018.
4. Kevin Pietersen (England)
England’s swashbuckling batter Kevin Pietersen announced his retirement from the limited-over formats in 2011 to focus only on the Test format. However, the right-handed batter made a comeback to the national squad after a few months. In 2014, Pietersen announced his retirement from the international arena and he never represented England after that.
3. Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)
West Indies veteran all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has contributed immensely for the Men in Maroon, especially in the 20-over format. Bravo announced his retirement from international cricket in all formats in 2018, but a year later he expressed his wish to represent West Indies in the 2020 T20 World Cup. The tournament got postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic but Bravo’s wish still came true as he played for West Indies during the 2021 T20 World Cup. Bravo played his last game against Australia, but the Men in Maroon lost that contest.
2. Imran Khan (Pakistan)
One of the greatest captains to lead the Pakistani side Imran Khan has also returned to the international scene after announcing his retirement. Imran took retirement after the end of the 1987 World Cup. However, a special request by former Pakistan president General Zia-Ul-Haq meant that Imran was back in the Pakistan squad in 1988. Imran decided to hang his shoes for good after his country won the 1992 World Cup under his leadership.
1. Javed Miandad (Pakistan)
Pakistan veteran batter Javed Miandad is considered one of the finest batters to ever represent Pakistan in the international arena. Just like former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan, Miandad also retired from the international arena for a short period of ten days. Later, former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto requested the batter to play in the 1996 World Cup. Miandad took retirement after the completion of the tournament in the same year.
