On Tuesday, West Indies cricketer Nicholas Pooran made the shock announcement that he’s leaving international cricket. Many fans were left stunned by this news especially since Pooran was a key player for the Windies in the limited overs formats and was expected to be a star in the upcoming T20 World Cup next year. It seems he’s chosen to focus more on franchise leagues instead. West Indian players are always in high demand in T20 leagues around the world which can offer them better financial opportunities than playing for their country. Pooran is just 29 years old and usually players retire in their late 30s so his departure is even more unexpected.
Interestingly there’s a list of cricketers who retired before they turned 30 and none of them are from India. Pooran’s decision doesn’t seem to be due to any injuries or health concerns; in fact he was playing well. Reports suggest one reason for his retirement could be the higher salaries West Indian players get in franchise cricket compared to what they get playing for their national team.
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Let’s look at a few other players who also retired before hitting the big 30:
1. Will Pucovski: This Australian player made a big impact in Test cricket but his career was derailed by multiple concussions. He had 13 concussions and that’s why he retired for health and safety reasons.
2. Kraig Kieswetter: He was a key player in England’s first T20 World Cup win in 2010 and was seen as a bright future star. Unfortunately he suffered an eye injury in 2014 which put a serious damper on his career. Despite making a comeback in 2015 the issues with his vision lingered and he had no choice but to retire.
3. James Taylor: Another English player James Taylor was seen as a key player for England in 2015. Tragically he was diagnosed with a heart condition called ARVC in 2016 which forced him into retirement at 26.
Each of these players had their careers ahead of them but faced challenges that made them make tough decisions about their careers. Just like them Pooran is now looking at a new chapter focusing on opportunities outside international cricket.
