5 great bowlers who retired just short of a major landmark in ODIs
Even though limited-overs cricket is perceived to be a batsman's game, teams with balanced bowling attacks have been the ones to taste sustained success at the highest level. The presence of bowlers, who are capable of picking wickets at different stages of the innings, lend massive potency to any ODI lineup.
Also Read: 5 batting greats who retired just short of a major landmark in ODIs
The most scrutinized decision of any cricketer's career surrounds his retirement. While quite a few modern greats have had legacies tarnished by delaying their exits, there have also been numerous long-serving players who gracefully walked away before becoming a burden on their respective teams.
In reverse chronological order of their retirements, here are five bowling greats who bid adieu despite being on the verge of important career milestones.
#5 Daniel Vettori - 305 wickets from 295 ODIs
To go alongside his 13,430 runs, Sanath Jayasuriya holds the record for the most number of wickets taken by a left-arm spinner in ODIs. The Sri Lankan legend picked 323 scalps from 445 matches. The record came under significant threat as New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori moved past the 300-wicket mark.
However, Vettori bid adieu to the game following New Zealand's defeat against Australia in the 2015 World Cup final at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. From 295 ODIs, the bespectacled spinner picked 305 wickets at an average of 31.71 and economy-rate of 4.12. Nineteen more wickets would have enabled him to overhaul Jayasuriya's record.