ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 starts on 30th May and it promises to be an action-packed event. The mega event is the biggest cricketing extravaganza in the world, however, at the end of it, a number of cricketers will bid farewell to the game.
The biggest name would be the former Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who will definitely be featuring in his last Cricket World Cup.
In the 2015 edition, we saw a number of cricketers bid adieu to cricket including Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Michael Clarke, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara to name a few.
Today, we look at some of the probable names who will be playing their last major ICC event.
Pakistan
Pakistan’s two senior-most cricketers are expected to retire post World Cup.
Shoaib Malik
Shoaib Malik made his international debut in 1999 and he is the only active cricketer to have played in the 1990s. The 37-year old has played 284 ODIs with 7526 runs in the format.
Mohammad Hafeez
Mohammad Hafeez is also likely to play his last major ICC ODI event. He is 38-years old and with a culture of young cricketers in the team, he is expected to make way for the young guns to take over.
India
India will have a huge void to fill at the end of the mega event.
MS Dhoni
Former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, has won Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup and Cricket World Cup for his country and he will be dearly missed after his retirement.
South Africa
South Africa will also see a number of players playing their last Cricket World Cup.
Dale Steyn
Modern legend, Dale Steyn is arguably the greatest fast bowler of the 21st century and he will also say goodbye to the game after World Cup 2019.
Imran Tahir
Imran Tahir has already announced that he will retire from ODI cricket after the mega event. The cricket fans will surely miss his iconic celebrations.
JP Duminy
JP Duminy might be an underrated cricketer, however, he has played 194 ODIs for his country. He has also announced to retire from cricket after this World Cup.
Faf du Plessis
Proteas skipper, Faf du Plessis had hinted that T20 World Cup in 2020 will be his last tournament, meaning that this will be his last 50-over World Cup.
West Indies
West Indies cricket will no longer see one of their greatest modern-day cricketers.
Chris Gayle
The Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, will feature in his 5th and final ODI World Cup. He has 10,151 runs from 289 matches and holds a number of records due to his explosive batting abilities.
New Zealand
New Zealand’s premier batsman, Ross Taylor is set to represent his country one last time at the biggest stage.
Ross Taylor
With over 15,000 international runs, Ross Taylor’s retirement will be a huge blow for the Kiwis. Will we see his iconic clear-the-leg sixes on the on-side? Time will tell.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket fans will be witnessing their top bowler at the biggest cricketing event one last time.
Lasith Malinga
Former captain and one of the most successful bowlers for the Lankans, Lasith Malinga has also said that T20 World Cup in 2020 will be his swansong event.
Bangladesh
Bangladeshi cricketers like Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Raheem, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mashrafe Mortaza have been around for a long time. They will be hoping to pull a couple of upsets under the leadership of Masrafe Mortaza.
Masrafe Mortaza
The captain, Masrafe is most likely to part ways with ODI cricket after this event. The 35-year-old has represented Bangladesh in 209 ODIs having debuted in 2001.
Do you think these players will leave their mark in their last Cricket World Cup? Let us know in the comments section.
Malik Le Le Hafiz Na Le :
We Need Hafeez in T20 WC
…
ODI se retirement le rha hai Hafeez T20 se nai
Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir are the most heart wrenching out of the list.