Cricketers who retired from the game in 2015

6. Shahid Afridi- ODI:

The 2015 World Cup also brought to an end the ODI career of Afridi. His Test career had ended long ago, but he was an important part of the ODI team since many years. Unfortunately, he had a poor World Cup and couldn’t make any impact. The big hitter though had a glorious career for Pakistan as an all-rounder. He played 398 ODIs and scoring 8064 runs with a career-best of 124. He also picked up 395 wickets with a career best spell of 7/12 against the West Indies. This remains the second best ODI bowling performance of all time. Afridi is the current captain of Pakistan’s T20 team.

7. Daniel Vettori- All Formats: 

One of the games finest left-arm spinners, Vettori carried New Zealand’s bowling on his shoulders for more than a decade. He had a wonderful 2015 World Cup in which the Kiwis finished as runners-up. He had already retired from Test and T20Is. He played 295 ODIs and picked up 305 wickets with a career best spell of 5/7 against Bangladesh. He was also a handy lower order batsman and scored 2253 runs with a top score of 83 against the Aussies. Stress fractures in his back did trouble him early in his career however he bounced back from it returning to his best. His mastery of drift and subtle variations in flight, speed and length combined with guile and ability to confuse the batsmen made him New Zealand’s most dangerous bowler.

8. Brad Haddin- All Formats: 

The Australian wicketkeeper announced his retirement from ODIs after his team won the 2015 World Cup on home soil. He then retired from Test cricket after the 2015 Ashes. He had played his last T20I against Pakistan in 2014. Haddin was renowned for being tough and uncompromising and played 126 ODIs for his team scoring 3122 runs with a top score of 110. He scored 2 tons and 16 fifties. He played 66 Tests and scored 3266 runs with a career best of 169. He made 4 hundreds and 18 fifties in Test cricket. He has 270 and 181 dismissals in Tests and ODIs respectively.

9. Kyle Mills- All Formats: 

Mills was the world’s No 1-ranked ODI bowler in 2009 and part of the New Zealand squad for the 2015 World Cup but did not get a single game. He played 170 ODIs taking 240 wickets with a career best spell of 5/25 against South Africa. He made his international debut against Pakistan in 2001, with his last match being January 2015’s ODI against the same opposition in Wellington when he took 2-29 off his 10 overs. He had played his last Test match in 2009 and T20I in 2014.

10. Michael Clarke- All Formats:

One of Australia’s finest ever batsman retired from the ODI side after a memorable 2015 World Cup. The Aussies won the cup on home soil with skipper Clarke making a wonderful half-century. He lost the Ashes in England and announced his retirement from Test cricket. He had retired from T20Is long back. Clarke played 245 ODIs and scored 7981 Runs with a top score of 130 including 8 hundreds and 58 fifties. He played 115 Tests and scored 8643 runs with the highest score of 329*including 28 centuries and 27 fifties.