Legends who retired from international cricket in 2015
The year 2015 has seen a number of cricket greats announcing their retirement. It all began with the ICC World Cup that was held in February-March earlier this year.
After the World Cup, Sri Lanka’s legendary duo of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara retired from ODIs. Others in the list to retire after World Cup were New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori and Australia’s World Cup winning captain Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson.
A couple of Indian cricketers also announced their retirements including Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan.
Here is list of the cricketers that retired from the game in 2o15:
Michael Clarke retired from ODIs after the World Cup. (Source: Reuters)
Michael Clarke: The Australia captain announced his retirement after the World Cup which his side won after beating New Zealand in the final in Melbourne. Clarke made his Australia debut in 2003 against England and went on to play 115 Tests, 245 ODIs and 34 T20Is for his country. Clarke later retired from Tests after The Ashes 2015.
Mahela Jayawardene’s ODI career ended with Sri Lanka’s campaign in the World Cup. (Source: Reuters)
Mahela Jayawardene: One of the greatest players to have ever played the game, Jayawardene was the pillar of Sri Lanka cricket in the last decade. Having made his Test debut against India in 1997, the 38-year-old played 149 Tests, 448 ODIs and 44 T20Is and scored more than 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs. He also captained Sri Lanka for a brief period of time.
Kumar Sangakkara played his last Test for Sri Lanka in August against India.
Kumar Sangakkara: Another Sri Lankan legend, Sangakkara held the triple responsibility of being a wicketkeeper-batsman and captain of his side. The 38-year-old left-handed batsman played 134 Tests, 404 ODIs and 56 T20Is. He is Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer in both ODIs and Tests with more than 1400 runs and 12000 runs in the two formats of the game respectively. His last Test was against India in August this year.
Daniel Vettori was one of the finest cricketers to have played for New Zealand.
Daniel Vettori: The youngest man to play Test cricket for New Zealand, Vettori retired after the World Cup final against Australia. A veteran of 113 Tests, 295 ODIs and 34 T20Is, the former New Zealand captain has 300 wickets and more than 3000 runs in Tests. He also has 305 wickets in ODIs.
Virender Sehwag has won the 2011 ICC World Cup and the 2007 World T20 as a cricketer. (Source: File)
Virender Sehwag: A flamboyant opener from India, Sehwag changed the way opening was done in cricket. The 37-year-old is the Indian player with a triple century in Tests (He has two triple tons in Tests). His highest score in ODIs in 219. Sehwag made his Test debut in 2001 and ODI debut in 1999. The Delhi dasher went on to play 104 Tests, 251 ODIs and 19 T20Is for India.
Zaheer Khan was the leader of the Indian pace attack in the last decade.
Zaheer Khan: Renowned for his swing bowling, Zaheer was considered in the same league as the Pakistan greats like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. His career was hit by frequent injuries which limited his services for India but he still managed to play 200 ODIs and 92 Tests. With 311 wickets in Tests and 282 in ODIs, the Mumbai pacer is the best India has produced after Kapil Dev.
Brendon McCullum will play his last Test against Australia in February next year.
Brendon McCullum: The New Zealand captain who transformed the way the game was played in the country announced on Tuesday that he will retire from international cricketer in February next year. Having led his country to the 2015 World Cup final, McCullum is seen as one of the most inspiring figure back home. Since his New Zealand debut in 2001, he has been known for his attacking form of batting. He has also kept wickets and was an exceptional fielder in the outfield. He has played 99* Tests and 254* ODIs. He is the only New Zealand cricketer to score a triple century in Tests.
