Cricketers who announced retirement after being named in squad

In a shocking turn of events, West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. He will be unavailable for the three-match ODI series against England, which begins in Antigua on December 3.

Just 10 days earlier, Dowrich had earned a national recall for the upcoming England series on the back of strong performances in the Super50 Cup where he garnered 234 runs in five innings at an average of 78 and a strike rate of 91.76.

The 32-year-old cricketer made his international debut against Australia in Dominica in 2015. He scored 1,570 runs in 35 Tests including three centuries and top score of 125 not out against Sri Lanka in Trinidad in 2018. He took 85 catches and affected five stumpings as a wicketkeeper.

Many other international cricketers have also announced their sudden retirements after being selected in the squad...

VVS Laxman

Former India great VVS Laxman made a sudden decision to end his international career in 2012. After a below par tour of Australia, where he scored a lone half-century in eight innings, there were questions about Laxman’s place in the Indian team.

However, Laxman was picked in the Indian Test squad for the home series against New Zealand, with the first game to be played in his hometown, Hyderabad. However, the stylish batsman announced his retirement with immediate effect less than a week before the start of the series.

In his illustrious career, Laxman garnered a total of 8,781 runs at an average of 45.97 in 134 Tests with 17 centuries. His highest score was an incredible 281 against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 when India defeated formidable Australia despite following on.

Rahul Dravid

Another Indian stalwart Rahul Dravid announced his limited-overs retirement in an unforeseen manner. Due to his dominance in the Test series in England in 2011, Dravid earned a recall to the India squad for the ODI series and the one-off T20I that followed.

Dravid’s selection in the Indian team came after he was overlooked from white-ball squads for two years since the 2009 Champions Trophy. The Wall was surprised at the inclusion and announced his retirement within a few hours from both white-ball formats to focus on Tests. During his illustrious career, Dravid scored over 13,000 Test and 10,000 ODI runs.