DIn recent weeks, four prominent cricketers announced their retirement: Pakistan’s Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir, New Zealand’s Tim Southee and India’s Ravichandran Ashwin.
Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir, who both reversed their decision to retire from international cricket earlier this year to play in the T20 World Cup, have retired again. Both players were selected in Pakistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean in June, and made their last appearance for Pakistan in the same game – a group stage match against Ireland at Lauderhill on 16 June. It was a match. Pakistan failed to make it out of the group stage.
Amir burst onto the international scene as a prodigious talent, making his debut for Pakistan in 2009 at the age of 17. His unique bowling style, which included fast pace and the ability to swing the ball both ways, quickly made him one of the The most feared bowler in limited overs formats.
One of the highlights of Amir’s career came during the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final, where he played a vital role in Pakistan’s historic victory against India. His ferocious spell of fast bowling, which devastated the Indian batting line-up, is etched in the memory of cricket fans.
Amir’s journey was marred by a suspension in 2010 for his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal, which led to a prolonged absence from the game. Amir made a strong comeback, garnering praise for his performances in various domestic leagues and for the Pakistan national team.
Amir played 61 ODIs and took 81 wickets. He took 71 wickets in 62 T20Is. Aamir also played 36 Test matches in which he took 119 wickets.
Despite his talent, Amir has struggled to secure a permanent place in the national team in recent years. So his retirement was not unexpected.
Imad, known for his skills with both bat and ball, carved a niche for himself as one of Pakistan’s leading all-rounders. Making his debut in 2015, Imad soon established himself as a reliable player in the limited overs formats. His left-arm orthodox spin and ability to score crucial runs in the lower order made him a valuable asset to the team.
Imad took 44 wickets in 55 ODIs and 73 wickets in 75 T20Is. He played an important role in many important victories of Pakistan, especially in T20. His exploits in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) added to his reputation, as he emerged as one of the top performers in the tournament. Imad’s experience and leadership skills were instrumental in providing balance to the team, especially during crucial matches.
However, over the past few years, Imad has found it difficult to secure a consistent place in the national set-up, competing for places in a strong all-rounder pool.
Legendary New Zealand seamer Tim Southee also retired from international cricket after playing a crucial role in New Zealand’s 423-run win in the third and final Test of the home series against England at Seddon Park in Hamilton. However, if New Zealand qualify, they will make themselves available for the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June.
The 35-year-old Southee has taken 391 Test wickets in 107 matches, second only to Sir Richard Headley (431) among New Zealand players.
He made his debut at the age of 19 against England in Napier in March 2008.
He recently played a key role in New Zealand’s historic 3-0 series win in India, the first by a visiting team since 2012-13. Although he took just three wickets in the first two Tests, these included India captain Rohit Sharma, as he was bowled out for 46 in the series opener, and their top-scorer Sarfraz Khan in the second innings.
He is the only player to take more than 300 wickets in Tests, 200 in One Day Internationals (221) and 100 in Twenty20 Internationals (164), the most wickets in T20Is by any player. are
Southee played more than 100 international matches in all formats — 107 Tests, 161 ODIs and 126 T20Is. In 391 international games he took 776 wickets – the most by any New Zealand player. Only nine men have more wickets.
After the third Test against Australia in Brisbane, Indian all-rounder Ashwin suddenly announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket.
The 38-year-old, revered for his match-winning magic and spin wizardry, ended a career spanning 13 years, leaving an indelible mark on Indian cricket.
Ashwin retired as India’s second highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, with 537 wickets in 106 matches, behind only Anil Kumble’s 619. Across all formats, the spinner took 775 wickets, including 37 five-wicket hauls in Tests.
Ashwin played 106 Tests (537 wickets), 116 One Day Internationals (156 wickets) and 65 Twenty20 Internationals with 72 wickets.
He also became the fastest player in the world to take 350 Test wickets, achieving this milestone in just 66 matches.
Debuting in 2010, Ashwin was instrumental in India’s dominance in domestic Tests, forming a formidable spin partnership with Ravindra Jadeja. His innovation and adaptability made him a key figure in India’s red-ball success.
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