Cricket isn’t an easy game. It takes years of hard work for cricketers to excel at it. No matter how talented or gifted you are, you have to surrender to the game to come out of it unscathed. There have been many cricketers who have given the game so much that the fans simply can’t get enough of them. Here is 5 Legendary Players Who Didn’t Get A Farewell Match.
These legends have enriched the beautiful game. But at times the game hasn’t been kind enough to these icons. Few such cricketers ended their career abruptly and the game got poorer owing to their overnight absence. Legends Who Didn’t Get A Farewell Match After International Retirement
Let’s look at 5 Legendary Players Who Didn’t Get A Farewell Match:
#5 Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen was one cricketer who was way ahead of his time. He played for a country that was conservative in its approach to the game. Pietersen on the other hand was a freak of nature. He blasted bowlers left, right, and center on his day. Pietersen played a starring role in England’s famous Ashes wins in 2005 and 2010.
He was central to England’s away against India in 2012. But England sadly didn’t know how to deal with Pietersen. He was always dealt a rough card from the team management. He retired without playing an international for almost 5 years. What a sad end to a celebrated and colorful career!
#4 Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden is arguably one of the best openers to have ever played the game. He was dominant right throughout his career. Hayden held the record for the highest Test ever score (380) in an innings for a brief while.
He excelled not just on fast bouncy pitches but also on slow spinning subcontinental surfaces. Hayden had an illustrious career. But he was abruptly dropped from the team following a string of poor scores across formats. The Aussie legend retired without playing a farewell match.
#3 Yuvraj Singh
It won’t be an overstatement if Yuvraj Singh is called the man of world cups. He helped India win world titles in 2000 (U-19), 2007 (T20), and 2011 (ODI). Singh had a celebrated limited-overs career that saw many glorious highs. His 6 sixes off Stuart Broad is the stuff of legends.
Yuvraj’s knock of 70 (30 balls) against Australia in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2007 to date remains one of the greatest ever T20 knocks. But sadly Yuvraj didn’t get the kind of exit he deserved. He was dropped off from the squad in 2017 post a couple of failures. There was no clear communication about his future from the board. Singh retired half-heartedly in 2019. He didn’t get to play a farewell game.
#2 AB de Villiers
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time. He was a standout batsman across all formats. ABD could smash the fastest century in the game and he could also play one of the slowest ever innings on the other hand. There have been very few gifted cricketers like AB in the world.
ABD was the “Man of the Series” in his last 2 main series against India and Australia. He was the major difference between the two sides. In May 2018 out of nowhere AB suddenly announced his retirement from the game. ABD retired without winning a World Cup, he retired without winning a World Cup. But he left back a million memories. That’s what people probably call a genius.
#1 MS Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is probably one of the greatest Indian players of all time. He is right up there alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli when it comes to ODI greatness. Dhoni to date remains the only captain in the world to have won all 3 major ICC trophies (T20, ODI, and Champions Trophy).
MS Dhoni was always his own man. He took decisions that never made conventional sense but proved to be mighty effective. Dhoni is widely regarded as one of the best finishers of all time. But sadly he couldn’t finish his career on a high. He posted about his retirement on Instagram and walked off from international cricket. And just like that, an era came to an end! The Legend Who Didn’t Get A Farewell Match After International Retirement.
