5 cricketers who retired in their early 30s
Morne Morkel, 33, has announced that the Australian series would be his last in international cricket. 33 is definitely not an age to retire, which is why his decision has come as a surprise to many in the cricketing world.
Morkel admitted that there is still a lot of cricket left with him, but that he took the decision due to the demanding international cricket schedule and to spend time with his young family.
Early retirement is not something which is new to cricket as a handful of players have opted for retirement during their early 30s. In this article, we look at five immensely talented players who retired earlier than expected. These players have left a lot of memories to look back and cherish.
Shane Bond
The Kiwi speedster was a devastating fast bowler in his pomp. New Zealand won 10 of the 18 Tests Bond played in. He was furiously fast and had the habit of battering the stumps and toes consistently with his deadly yorkers. His unique ability to swing the ball both ways at genuine pace sent shudders through all batsmen.
However, Bond’s career was plagued with injuries. The recurrence of back problems, knee troubles, abdominal tear and stress fractures forced Bond to the sidelines. His back injury was the most severe and he could never recover from that.
Bond's career highlight was the 2003 World Cup, where he took 17 wickets at a remarkable average of 17.94. But the injuries resurfaced and he was forced to call it a day soon after his return to international cricket.
Bond retired from Test cricket in December 2009 at the age of 34. Had he been injury free, he could well have become one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket.