Top 5 current players with the longest ODI careers
It is not always about bat and ball in cricket - there are a lot of things that go hand in hand with the game, one of the biggest being fitness. It is not about having the best physique when it comes to a game like cricket; you need more stamina and endurance to survive, even when it comes to the shortest format.
Chris Gayle had once described T20s as the toughest format he had played because of the intensity of the game. Tests are in itself a very strenuous process because of the length of the whole competition.
And even though ODIs were meant to be a way to reduce the extent of a five-day game and condense it into one day, they still require a lot of endurance especially from players who have crossed 35 years of age.
The 50-over format is still the one in which the World Cup is played and its importance cannot be undermined.
Here are five current players who have been playing ODIs for the longest time.
Note: All these players have played at least one ODI in 2018:
#5 Mashrafe Mortaza (16 years)
Bangladesh's speedster for years now has been somehow battling injuries and appearing year after year for his side. He has dropped his pace considerably, especially after his continuous knee injuries. He played his last Test way back in 2009 but has managed to take his career into the 17th year.
He made his debut way back in 2001, earning both his Test and ODI cap against Zimbabwe.
He played in the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, but because of a knee injury, he had to be ruled out of the 2011 World Cup, something that led to a lot of furore back in Bangladesh.
He retired from T20Is in 2017 after his last game against Sri Lanka but continues to play ODIs and is currently his side's captain.
Over a 16 year period, he has played just under 200 ODIs.