Unretired XI: Tamim as opener, Afridi as all-rounder

Since its inception, cricket has been a game filled with many retirement reversals. In 2023 only we have seen two players who came back from retirement. First, it was Moeen Ali who reversed his retirement from Test format to play in the Ashes after Jack Leach was ruled out. Now it is Tamim Iqbal who has reversed his decision to retire after a meeting with the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. Here is a look at a playing XI with players who reversed their retirements.

Bob Simpson

Because of Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket, Australia’s reserves were depleted prior to the 1977 India series, and veteran of sixty-two Test matches Bob Simpson had been absent from international cricket for ten years. When he was 41 years old, Simpson forced himself out of retirement and went on to score 539 runs in 10 matches.

Tamim Iqbal

Three months before the 2023 ODI World Cup in India and one day after Bangladesh’s defeat to Afghanistan, Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement and put an end to his remarkable career in a sad news conference. Tamim reversed his decision, though, following a meeting with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Javed Miandad

In 1994, after being benched from the team, Pakistan’s batting genius, Javed Miandad made the decision to retire from the game. Benazir Bhutto, the nation’s prime minister at the time, persuaded the maestro to reverse his decision. Miandad agreed although he didn’t represent Pakistan again until 1996.

Carl Hooper

One of his generation’s most talented players, Carl Hooper, shocked everyone by announcing his Test retirement at the age of 32. The prodigal son finally returned to captain West Indies in a home series against New Zealand, India, and South Africa after the team’s dry run in 2001, before finally retiring two years later.

Kevin Pietersen

In franchise leagues, Kevin Pietersen was one of the earliest favourites of franchises in every country. England cricket was shocked when he made the decision to terminate his international limited-overs career four months before the 2012 World T20. But he declared that he would never turn down a comeback less than 60 days later. He did return to play for England in a T20I match and eight more ODIs.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa

Bhanuka Rajapaksa officially cited family obligations as the cause for his early 2022 retirement from international competition. Namal Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s minister of sports, expressed displeasure over his “hurried” choice. Rajapaksa stated his desire to continue representing his nation in the sport he adores after the two met and spoke with the national selectors.

Imran Khan

After Pakistan’s loss to Australia in the 1987 World Cup semifinal, Pakistan’s illustrious player, Imran Khan made the decision to hang up his boots. When President Zia-ul-Haq urged Imran to represent Pakistan again, Imran had a change of heart. His decision turned out to be beneficial for both him and his country as in his second stint Imran Khan brought World Cup glory to Pakistan. Five years later, as a World Cup-winning captain Imran retired.

Shahid Afridi

The third Pakistani cricketer to make this list is none other than electrifying all-rounder, Shahid Afridi. Afridi is the only cricketer to have retired four times out of which three times he made a comeback. Retirements occurred in 2006, 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2017, while comebacks occurred in 2006, 2011 and 2016. There was very little on the cricket pitch that Afridi couldn’t do and a spot always looked open for him. However, beneath the high speed of his retirement stood one of the most influential cricketers of the contemporary period. 

Moeen Ali

Moeen had given up playing Test cricket in 2021, but when Jack Leach was ruled out for the 2023 Ashes, he found himself responding to an emergency. Two years after leaving the ring five wickets short of the milestone, he made his Test return and went on to surpass 200 wickets in the format in the recently concluded third test of the Ashes.

Javagal Srinath

In 2002, Javagal Srinath left the Caribbean after deciding that he had played his final Test. But Sourav Ganguly wasn’t having any of it. Ganguly persuaded Srinath to come out of retirement, the pacer went on to play three more Tests and serve as the leader of the bowling attack. He was also part of the Indian squad at the 2003 World Cup, where India finished as the runner-up.

Jerome Taylor

When Jerome Taylor opted to stop his Test prospects and concentrate on the shorter formats, his 46-Test career came to an end. However, things took an unexpected turn when he wasn’t selected in any white-ball matches as well for the following 14 months. He immediately reversed his retirement decision from playing in Tests, but he hasn’t been picked since his reversal.

Also Read: World Cup 2023: How does the schedule benefit India?

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