Well, representing their country at an international level is nothing short of a dream for a majority of cricketers out there. The decades-old history of international cricket has undoubtedly witnessed numerous spine-chilling debuts that have left the fans of the game stunned and a saga of emotions after these lethal cricketers have announced their departure from the format.
Although a majority of legendary cricketers have dominated the international cricket arena for decades before announcing their official retirement, a few of them have chosen to part ways from the format quite early in their cricketing career, leaving their global fanbases in a state of utter shock and disbelief. Have you ever wondered about the youngest cricketers who have retired from international cricket even before turning thirty? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four cricketers who have retired from international cricket at a young age.
Top 4 Youngest Cricketers Who Retired From International Cricket Ft. Nicholas Pooran
Will Pucovski, Australia – 26 Years
The Australian former international cricketer, Will Pucovski, who made his List A debut for Cricket Australia XI against Pakistan during their tour of Australia on 10 January 2017 and his first-class debut for Victoria in the 2016–17 Sheffield Shield season, is at the first spot in our list of the top four youngest cricketers who announced early retirement from international cricket.
Often hailed as one of the most reliable middle-order batsmen for the Australian side, Will Pucovski made his international debut in a test match against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in 2021, where he managed to register his first international half-ton. On 8 April 2025, Will Pucovski left the fans shocked after he announced his official retirement from international cricket citing persistent concussion-related health issues at the age of 26 years.
Aaqib Javed, Pakistan – 26 Years
At the second spot in our list of the top four cricketers who have retired from international cricket at a young age, we have the Pakistani former international cricketer and the current head coach of the Pakistani cricket team in all formats, Aaqib Javed. Throughout his glorious international cricket career that lasted for a decade between 1988 and 1998, Aaqib Javed played a total of 22 Tests and 163 One-Day Internationals and was also a part of Pakistan’s national cricket team that clinched the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
Pakistan’s bowling spearhead Aaqib Javed played his last ODI against Zimbabwe on 24 November 1988 and his final test against Zimbabwe on 27 November 1998. Shortly after, his career was plagued by a string of ugly controversies and match-fixing scandals which ultimately led to his early retirement in November 1998 at the age of 26 years.
James Taylor, England – 26 Years
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four youngest cricketers who announced early retirement from international cricket, we have the English former cricketer and cricket selector James William Arthur Taylor, popularly referred to as “James Taylor”, who represented England at an international level from 2011 to 2016.
Throughout his cricketing career, James Taylor played a total of seven test matches, twenty-seven ODIs and ninety-one T20s. The extremely talented English cricketer was forced to announce his official retirement from international cricket in April 2016 at the age of twenty-six due to a life-threatening heart condition, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).
Nicholas Pooran, West Indies – 29 Years
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four youngest cricketers who announced early retirement from international cricket, we have the Trinidadian cricketer, Nicholas Pooran, who represented the West Indies cricket team in limited overs formats till 2024 and also served as the skipper.
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Throughout his international cricketing career, the West Indies wicket-keeper-batter, Nicholas Pooran, played a total of 61 ODI matches and 106 T20 internationals. Most recently, on 9 June 2025, Nicholas Pooran announced his official retirement from international cricket at the age of twenty-nine, citing the immense workload and emotional toll. Additionally, according to reports, Nicholas Pooran is now focusing entirely on global T20 leagues.
