5 cricket stars who have announced retirement in 2023 so far
Only close to 33 days have passed in 2023, but the cricket world has seen its fair share of headlines already.
Brand new tournaments like SA20 and International League T20 began in the month of January, starting a new era in the world of T20 leagues.
Meanwhile, Legends League Cricket have announced a new LLC Masters T20 tournament which will happen in Qatar this year. Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee, Kevin O'Brien, Albie Morkel, Misbah-ul-Haq and TM Dilshan, among others, will participate in the tournament.
In addition, players like Rahul Tripathi, Shubman Gill and Shivam Mavi received their maiden T20I caps in 2023. While these individuals started their careers this year, a few decided to end their stint in the sport.
Here's a list of the five players who have announced their retirement this year so far.
#1 T20 Cricket World Cup hero - Joginder Sharma
Former Indian all-rounder Joginder Sharma did not have a long international career. He played only four ODIs and four T20Is for his nation, but Indian fans will never forget him because of his T20 World Cup 2007 heroics.
Joginder, making his debut at the grand stage nearly 16 years back, scalped four wickets in four games at the maiden T20 World Cup. Most importantly, he kept his nerve in the final over of the final against Pakistan and helped India become the world champions.
He announced his retirement from all formats of cricket on Friday (February 3).
#2 Murali Vijay
Another Indian player to appear on this list is Murali Vijay. He announced his retirement from international cricket, IPL and domestic matches on January 31.
Vijay represented India in 61 Tests, 17 ODIs and nine T20I matches. He played 106 games in his Indian Premier League career, representing the Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals.
The stylish opener may now play in other T20 leagues.
#3 Daniel Christian
Nicknamed the 'T20 title-winning machine,' Daniel Christian announced retirement from all formats this year as well. Playing for the Sydney Sixers, Christian announced that this year's Big Bash League season will be his last.
Sydney were knocked out of the tournament after a defeat against Brisbane Heat in the Challenger, bringing an end to Christian's career. Over the course of his career, he scored 3,825 runs and picked up 280 wickets in 409 T20 matches.
#4 Dwaine Pretorious
South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorious raised eyebrows when he announced retirement from international cricket at the start of the year. He is 33, but certainly has the ability to play at the top level for a few more years.
However, Pretorious ended his international career to focus on T20 leagues. He played three Tests, 27 ODIs and 30 T20Is for South Africa, scalping a total of 77 wickets.
#5 Hashim Amla
Learning from the masterful Hash 🧘♂️🫶
#MICapeTown #OneFamily @GrantRoelofsen @amlahash https://t.co/5v0p6GSg9m
Hashim Amla retired from international cricket a few years ago, but played county matches for Surrey until last year. The veteran South African batter called it a day on his professional career earlier this year.
Amla ended his first-class career with 19,521 runs and 57 hundreds to his name. He is currently working as a batting coach for MI Cape Town in SA20.