Top 5 Cricketers Who Made Roaring Comebacks After Retirement
Explore inspiring details of top five cricketers who defied the odds and made legendary comebacks after their retirement
Top 5 Cricketers Who Made Roaring Comebacks After Retirement: Unfortunately, no sportsman gets to play for an eternity, and at some point in their blooming careers, they have to put an unprecedented end to it and the game of cricket is no exception. Over the years numerous cricketers have announced their decision to take an exit from the game, often leaving their fans in shock and disbelief.
However, the history of cricket has also witnessed a few path-breaking instances where legendary cricketers have contemplated their decision of retirement over and over again and ultimately decided to return back and rule the 22-yard-long territory all over again.
In this article, we will take a look at the top five cricketers who decided to make a comeback after officially announcing their retirement from the game.
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Top 5 Cricketers Who Made Roaring Comebacks After Retirement
- Moeen Ali
English cricketer and former vice-captain of England in limited-overs format, Moeen Munir Ali is at the first spot in our list of top five cricketers who decided to make a comeback after officially announcing their retirement. Moeen Ali announced his retirement from the test cricket format in 2021 but made a roaring comeback during the home Ashes series of 2023 against Australia as England massively struggled with the absence of an off-spinner in the squad.
Moeen Munir Ali’s comeback during the 2023 Ashes series was majorly backed by the then-skipper ofthe England squad Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.
- Tamim Iqbal
On the second spot on our list of top five cricketers who decided to make a comeback after officially announcing their retirement, we have Bangladeshi cricketer Tamim Iqbal who shocked the world with his sudden retirement from all international cricket formats on July 6, 2022, shortly after winning the ODI series against West Indies by a phenomenal 3-0 margin.
Interestingly, the shocking decision of Tamim Iqbal, often hailed as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of Bangladesh cricket, didn’t soak in too well with the fans of Bangladesh cricket and the bureaucrats. As a consequence, the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina convinced Tamim Iqbal to reverse his decision of retirement from international cricket.
- Shahid Afridi
Former Pakistan’s international all-rounder cricketer Shahid Afridi is at the third spot on our list of the top five cricketers who decided to make a comeback after officially announcing their retirement. Shahid Afridi has undoubtedly had one of the most controversial comebacks and retired four a total of five times in his career in international cricket owing to his disagreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), ongoing injuries, and physical strain.
It was only in February 2017 that Shahid Afridi announced his final retirement from the T20Is and international cricket. Although Afridi demanded a farewell match, owing to his ongoing streak of poor performances, the Pakistani cricketer was denied the opportunity by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
- Kevin Pietersen
On the fourth spot in our list of top five cricketers who decided to make a comeback after officially announcing their retirement, we have former English international cricketer Kevin Pietersen who represented England in all three major cricket formats from 2005 to 2014. Kevin Pietersen first announced his retirement from limited-overs cricket owing to his conflicts with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
However, Kevin Pietersen’s passion for the game and the valuable contributions that he made towards the England side made him make a significant comeback and he ended up playing a few additional matches for the England team before announcing his final retirement from professional cricket in 2018.
- Imran Khan
Former Pakistan’s international cricketer and 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan is at the fifth spot on our list of top five cricketers who decided to make a comeback after officially announcing their retirement.
Imran Khan initially announced his retirement from international cricket shortly after Pakistan’s defeat at the 1987 World Cup semi-final match against Australia. However, owing to his dominance in international cricket the then President of Pakistan, Zia-Ul-Haq influenced Imran Khan to overturn his decision of retirement from international cricket and ended up leading the Pakistan side to a record-making victory at the 1992 Cricket World Cup.