Cricket had a great year in 2019. With big names such as Yuvraj, JP Duminy, and Dale Steyn leaving the Cricket pitches, it was worth time seeing their legacy and the games that they have played.
What showed a great heart in the game was the emergence of new blood in the game, it also simultaneously spells the end for some seasoned veterans. Some got the farewell they deserved but not all of them were lucky to get the farewell they deserved. All as a whole it was time for some to leave and new blood to win it for their home grounds.
Shoaib Malik- Pakistan all-rounder, Shoaib Malik, announced his retirement from ODI cricket minutes after their last ICC World Cup 2019 fixture. He was a debutant in the 1990s, played a total of 287 ODIs, garnering 7534 runs, the fifth-highest tally for a Pakistan batsman. His bowling skills can be aptly proven by his 158 wickets, in a career that began against West Indies at Sharjah in October 1999.
Yuvraj Singh- Yuvraj Singh announced his retirement from international cricket in June earlier this year. Yuvraj, who last played for India in June 2017 in an ODI against West Indies, during his 19-year stint in international cricket, won two World Cups – the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007 and then ODI World Cup in 2011.
He played 304 ODIs, scoring 8701 runs at 36.55 that included 14 centuries and 52 half-centuries. While Yuvraj established himself as a middle-order mainstay in India’s middle-order setup, he failed to emulate it in the longest cricketing format.
Lasith Malinga- Malinga was the third-highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket with 338 wickets in 220 matches. He played one-day internationals after playing the first of three ODIs against Bangladesh in July. Malinga emerged as Sri Lanka’s highest wicket-taker at the World Cup, claiming 13 wickets in seven innings. The 35-year-old finished as Sri Lanka’s
Dale Steyn- Dale Steyn, who represented South Africa in 93 Tests after making his debut in December 2004, scalped 439 wickets, most for a Protea pacer. Dale Steyn announced his retirement from Test cricket in August. Steyn, 36, last played a Test when South Africa faced Sri Lanka in February earlier this year.
Hashim Amla- Just after Dale Steyn, South Africa’s Hashim Amla announced his retirement from international cricket in October. He had 18623 international runs, making him one of the greatest batsmen to have played for South Africa. He reached the zenith of batting in 2013, becoming the first batsman since Ricky Ponting to head both Test and ODI rankings at the same time.
Amla is the only South African batsman to score a triple-century in Tests when he made 311 not out against England in 2008.
Amla had a run-scorer in Test of 9282 at an average of 46.64. He was just after Jacques Kallis. He scored 28 centuries, also second-best after Kallis.
JP Duminy- JP Duminy retired from the one-day format of the game after the conclusion of the ICC World Cup 2019. Duminy, who announced his retirement from Tests in September 2017; however, will continue being available for South Africa in Twenty20 Internationals.
Duminy scored 5117 runs in 199 ODI matches at a strike-rate of 84.58. The off-spinner also claimed 69 ODI wickets with a career-best spell of four for 16. The all-rounder, who has served for the Proteas for long, had a few poor turnouts which led to his decision.
He plans to play in the T20Is for South Africa and in various franchise leagues around the globe.
Mohammad Amir- Mohammad Amir made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2009 only at the age of 17.
However, he will continue to play in the limited-overs cricket for his country. He featured in 36 Tests claiming 119 wickets at an average of 30.47.
Amir has taken this big step considering the upcoming World T20 next year. Amir, who had an outstanding World Cup, will look to be at his best and help Pakistan clinch their second World Cup title.
Nuwan Kulasekara- Nuwan Kulasekara retired from International Cricket in July. Kulasekara was part of Sri Lanka’s victorious World T20 campaign in Bangladesh in 2014 and finishes his career with 313 international wickets from 263 appearances across ODIs, Tests and T20Is.
Kulasekara’s final appearance for Sri Lanka was an ODI against Zimbabwe at Hambantota, shortly after he had played his final T20I against Bangladesh. He quit Tests in 2016 having played 21 matches in which he picked up 48 wickets since his debut back in 2016.
Ambati Rayudu- Ambati Rayudu announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, including the IPL, in July 2019. The decision comes after the selectors snubbed him from the ICC World Cup squad despite being in the list of standbys.
Rayudu has scored around 1694 runs in 55 ODIs, with three centuries and ten half-centuries at an average of 47.05. In the six T20Is he played, the middle-order batsman scored 42 runs.
Rayudu also had a successful turnout in the IPL for Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
Johan Botha- Johan Botha, an all-rounder, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in January, this year with immediate effect. The last time we saw Johan Botha playing was in BBL for Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL before retiring citing wear and tear on his body and sheer physical fatigue.
He was one of South Africa’s stand-out performers at the 2011 Men’s Cricket World Cup and also did a spectacular job in the World T20 in 2012. A globetrotter in its truest form, Botha has played over 500 matches and claiming over 500 wickets in his professional cricket career.
Botha played five Test matches, 78 ODIs, and 40 T20Is picking 126 wickets and also scoring over 1000 runs for the Proteas.
Venugopal Rao- Rao made his ODI debut in 2005 against Sri Lanka and was given a good run that year. He managed to score only 241 runs from 16 ODIs including a fifty against Pakistan in the UAE. Rao’s last ODI came against West Indies in 2006, and with young players coming, the selectors didn’t call him ever again.
Jade Dernbach- Jade Dernbach announced his retirement from international cricket in the history of England cricket. The pacer fell out of bound and played his last international game in 2014. He will continue to play domestic cricket for Surrey.
Dernbach, who made his first-class debut for Surrey way back in 2003, will continue to play for Surrey in the domestic circuit.
