Kieron Pollard retires: 5 cricketers who called it quits before 35

West Indies cricketer Kieron Pollard on Wednesday announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 34. 

“Hi all, after careful deliberation, I have decided to retire from international cricket. It was a dream of mine to play for West Indies since I was a 10-year-old boy and I am proud to represent the West Indies for over 15 years in T20 and ODI format of the game,” Pollard, who made his ODI debut in 2007, announced on his official Instagram page.

Though the reason behind the hard-hitter’s decision to retire was not known, many players like him have retired from cricket at a young age. Let’s take a look at 5 such international cricketers – 

1. James Taylor

In 2016, the England batsman announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after being diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Taylor, capped 34 times, made his international debut in 2011, at the age of 21.

Taylor wrote on Twitter, “Safe to say this has been the toughest week of my life! My world is upside down. But I’m here to stay and I’m battling on!”

2. Craig Kieswetter

Craig Kieswetter retired in 2015 after suffering an injury in county cricket when a delivery from David Willey burst through his helmet and hit his right eye. 

Kieswetter made his international debut for England at the age of 22 and retired at 27 after making 71 appearances in T20 and the 50-over format.

3. Andrew Flintoff

The England all-rounder retired from all forms of cricket in 2010 due to injuries.

Flintoff, who was 32 at the time of retirement, wrote, “It is with both disappointment and sadness that I am today announcing my retirement from all forms of cricket.”

4. Tatenda Taibu

Taibu, who was the flag-bearer for Zimbabwe for several years, retired in 2012 at the age of 29 to focus on his work in church.

Taibu made his international debut at the age of just 18 and became the youngest to captain a Test team at 21. He played 28 Tests, 150 ODIs and 17 T20Is in his career that spanned over 11 years.

5. Michael Clarke

Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke announced retirement from international cricket in 2015 at the age of 34 after the Ashes series, which England won 3-2. 

“As captain of the team my performances have been nowhere near the level and the standard they need to be an Australian cricketer and to be captain,” Clarke said at the time of retirement. 

“The boys have worked hard, I don’t blame anyone int hat change room. As a team we haven’t performed as well as we needed to to beat England, and as captain I certainly haven’t led from the front.”