To leave one’s career and passion one day is certainly a bitter feeling. One will definitely feel like the world has gone upside down. Imagining it is one thing but going through such ordeal, must be a whole different deal.
However, there are some great international cricketers who have parted from cricket due to strange reasons and left their fans broken-hearted. Here is a look at some of those cricketers:
Nathan Astle (When boredom overpowers)
Former aggressive New Zealand batter Nathan Astle announced his retirement from cricket in 2007 just six weeks before his fourth World Cup. Astle, considered as one of the best batsman in world cricket, left cricket due to a strange reason. He was utterly bored in cricket and hence announced his retirement. As per him, he was lacking motivation and the enjoyment levels were just not there in cricket anymore.
Kevin Pietersen (Family value above everything)
Kevin Pietersen was once regarded England’s greatest modern batsman. He played masterfully throughout his career. However, Pietersen decided to retire from the sport in March 2018 surprisingly. He felt that it was time for him to move on and prioritise his family as he valued his family the most above everything. His sudden exit from the game left his fans heartbroken and emotional.
Henry Olonga (Protest against Zimbabwe government)
Zimbabwe’s fiery pacer Henry Olanga faced an early end to his international career. Olanga wore a black band and issued a statement to protest against the death of democracy in his country during 2003 World Cup. This complicated things for the speedster both personally and professionally. Moreover, authorities from his country had come to arrest him for treason. But, he managed to dodge them. To play for Zimbabwe would have been contradictory to his agenda and hence, he announced his retirement from his beloved game.
Jonathan Trott (When pressure got better of him)
Jonathan Trott is considered as one of the best batters that England has produced. However, he unexpectedly announced his retirement after losing a series to West Indies in 2015. He struggled to perform well in the tournament. Later Trott, revealed that he was facing anxiety issues and unmanaged stress. These mental health problems forced him to leave international cricket early.
Mark Boucher (Wicket bail hit him in eye)
South African wicket-keeper batsman Mark Boucher went through an unexpected retirement following a dreadful eye injury. The tragedy struck when Boucher was wicket keeping during South Africa’s tour match against Somerset. Imran Tahir bowled a googly which hit the stump. Subsequently, the bail flew and hit Boucher in the eye. Writhing in pain, he was immediately taken to the hospital and was later diagnosed with lacerated eyeball. He announced his retirement after sustaining a three-hour-long surgery.
James Taylor (Keeping heart healthy)
English cricketer James Taylor was forced to step into retirement due to an insidious heart condition. After going through an operation for his condition, he got a defibrillator fitted which managed his heart rate. In order to keep his health intact, Taylor retired from cricket at just 26.