Great Indian cricketers who retired at the right time

[zen]

In Ind, we expect our cricketers to retire at the right time. However, our system is also designed, in a way, to support the great cricketers and help them prolong their careers even if they are near (or even past) their expiry date. Most Indian cricketers tend to take advantage of this system (selector's reluctance to have a tough conversation with the player, fan support including attacking potential replacement, the classic - even at 50%, he is better than others, etc.). Also Ind tends to be reactive than proactive so having a system that proactively develops a new player to take the spot of an expiring/expired incumbent takes a back seat. 

 

In such a muddled/reactive system, who are the cricketers who retired on a high and/or when the time was right? Gavaskar for one comes to mind. He retired on a high in 1987. 

[Ankit_sharma03]

Ganguly...was batting well those days

Even though he received signals from selectors n captain but thank god he didnt drag it

[express bowling]

Sunil Gavaskar retired after scoring 96 against Pakistan, on a very tough turner in Bangalore, 

 

 

No other Indian legend has been able to retire on such a high.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by express bowling

[Global.Baba]

Gavaskar. 

 

I think Sachin retired from tests and T20's(which he unofficially retired in 2007) at the right time but should have quit ODI's after 2011.

 

Others come to mind are Ravi Shastri who retired at 30 and Srikkanth who despite having flashes here and there in 92, was basically done as he lost his eyesight.

 

[Param Mastishk Pheeka]

1 minute ago, express bowling said:

Sunil Gavaskar retired after scoring 96 against Pakistan, on a very tough turner in Bangalore, 

 

 

No other Indian legend has been able to retire on such a high.

 

 

Yep, he's the one who comes to mind immediately.  Maybe SRT and SCG to some extent.  Can't remember the exact circumstances at the time of Dravid, Kumble, VVSL retirements from tests.

[express bowling]

Javagal Srinath wanted to retire after he thought that he was unable to bowl as quickly as he did earlier on the slow Asian surface ( although he thought that he was still quick enough for outside Asia stints )

 

Ganguly coaxed him to continue till the 2003 World Cup ... where he was still bowling 135 k to 143 k with bounce and bowling really well.

 

It was amazing as many of the young trundlers those days were still much slower than the " Wanting to retire " Srinath.

 

Srinath went out on a high with people wanting him to play more. 

 

Nothing but respect for this gentleman cricketer who retired because he lost pace at age 34.  

 

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by express bowling

[zen]

What about Srinath? If I recall correctly, wasn't he asked to unretire?

 

PS @express bowling just posted on Sri above 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by zen

[Laaloo]

8 minutes ago, Global.Baba said:

Gavaskar. 

 

I think Sachin retired from tests and T20's(which he unofficially retired in 2007) at the right time but should have quit ODI's after 2011.

 

Others come to mind are Ravi Shastri who retired at 30 and Srikkanth who despite having flashes here and there in 92, was basically done as he lost his eyesight.

 

Actually Sachin rarely played ODIs after the 2011 World Cup and he was still in good form. Tests however he should have retired a year earlier. If he just didn’t skip that damn Windies tour after the World Cup, it would have been a better retirement.

[express bowling]

Just now, zen said:

What about Srinath? If I recall correctly, wasn't he asked to unretire?

 

 

Check the above post.

[zen]

1 minute ago, express bowling said:

 

Check the above post.

My top two at this point are Gavaskar and Srinath 

[Param Mastishk Pheeka]

5 minutes ago, express bowling said:

Javagal Srinath wanted to retire after he thought that he was unable to bowl as quickly as he did earlier on the slow Asian surface ( although he thought that he was still quick enough for outside Asia stints )

 

Ganguly coaxed him to continue till the 2003 World Cup ... where he was still bowling 135 k to 143 k with bounce and bowling really well.

 

It was amazing as many of the young trundlers those days were still much slower than the " Wanting to retire " Srinath.

 

Srinath went out on a high with people wanting him to play more. 

 

Nothing but respect for this gentleman cricketer who retired because he lost pace at age 34.  

 

 

 

 

All this is very true.  But, unfortunately, the main memory of Srinath for me is him being carted in the 2003 final.  He bowled well throughout the WC I think, but 10-0-85-0 (or something like that) is hard to forget.  

[Global.Baba]

Just now, Laaloo said:

Actually Sachin rarely played ODIs after the 2011 World Cup and he was still in good form. Tests however he should have retired a year earlier. If he just didn’t skip that damn Windies tour after the World Cup, it would have been a better retirement.

I think after the fairytale moment  in Mumbai he should have called it a day and never stepped on the field in a ODI game. You couldn't write a better script than that.

 

I still think though he did have a few years of test cricket left in him as Dravid apart from that 2011 Eng tour looked finished for a while, VVS may be had a year or 2 left and Kohli/Rohit/Rahane were not ready.

 

Also personally 99 100's have a more mythical and legendary feel to it than 100 100's. 

 

I agree on the WI tour part, could have gotten that 100 100 bogey out of the way in that series.

[express bowling]

1 minute ago, Param Mastishk Pheeka said:

All this is very true.  But, unfortunately, the main memory of Srinath for me is him being carted in the 2003 final.  He bowled well throughout the WC I think, but 10-0-85-0 (or something like that) is hard to forget.  

 

The 2003 final was a bad match for our whole team. 

[Global.Baba]

4 minutes ago, zen said:

My top two at this point are Gavaskar and Srinath 

Sachin is a close 3rd too. Retired  from 2/3 formats at the right time. and just a partial delay in the 3rd

[zen]

28 minutes ago, Global.Baba said:

Sachin is a close 3rd too. Retired  from 2/3 formats at the right time. and just a partial delay in the 3rd

Though credit to him and other seniors for opting out of T20s, it is difficult for me to put Sachin at 3 as I had anticipated Sachin to not retire before playing 200 tests (maybe as early as in 2011).  There was no point in playing ODIs after 2011 except to improve his chances of reaching 100 100s (an irrelevant number manufactured after adding multiple formats). I do not prefer such mindless pursuit for numbers - 100 100s (and playing tests to reach the 200 tests mark) .... This is not entirely Sachin's fault as our system is designed to go after irrelevant numbers and players encouraged to go for it  

 

Also in Ind, we tend to give more importance to most runs and wkts (Kapil played on and on to break that record when he should have realised that he is taking like 40-50 more tests to achieve that  ).  Some folks even add up all internationals runs and wkts. If you play more and are decent, you will score runs or pick wkts. The question is at what price. Once a minimum cut off point is identified (like 2,000 runs, 100 wkts, 20 tests, etc.), the focus should shift to averages, SR, etc.  

Edited January 23, 2020 by zen

[Laaloo]

17 minutes ago, Global.Baba said:

I think after the fairytale moment  in Mumbai he should have called it a day and never stepped on the field in a ODI game. You couldn't write a better script than that.

 

I still think though he did have a few years of test cricket left in him as Dravid apart from that 2011 Eng tour looked finished for a while, VVS may be had a year or 2 left and Kohli/Rohit/Rahane were not ready.

 

Also personally 99 100's have a more mythical and legendary feel to it than 100 100's. 

 

I agree on the WI tour part, could have gotten that 100 100 bogey out of the way in that series.

Yeah 99 Centuries and 199 tests would have been great 

[Vickydev]

12 minutes ago, Global.Baba said:

Sachin is a close 3rd too. Retired  from 2/3 formats at the right time. and just a partial delay in the 3rd

Sachin shouldn't have played an ODI after 2011 world cup that would have been the highlight and tests after the Aus tour the same year where it was clear the team needed fresh blood.

Dada should be up there, Kumble should be in with a shout, he gave up after the Aus home test series i think where Amit Mishra out bowled him, realising he was finished.

[putrevus]

Sachin dragged on and on for his 100th 100.Looking back he would also agree finals should have been his last match.He was very unlucky he should scored his 100th 100 during world cup itself.

 

Sunny, Ganguly, Kumble and Srinath  retired gracefully. I cannot think anyone else who retired gracefully in Indian cricket.

 

I don't blame the players for not retiring , it is very very difficult to quit something which you as a player have been doing all your life.The selectors have to show some spine and tell players that they are done.

Edited January 23, 2020 by putrevus

[zen]

53 minutes ago, Ankit_sharma03 said:

Ganguly...was batting well those days

Even though he received signals from selectors n captain but thank god he didnt drag it

The team did a nice gesture by asking him to lead in his last test iirc

[Global.Baba]

Just now, zen said:

The team did a nice gesture by asking him to lead in his last test iirc

I think Ganguly was kind of forced to retire as well. Having heard his interviews he personally feels he had a couple of years left in him. Don't think a guy who quits at his peak feels that way.

 

I have seen Sunny brushing it off when being asked if he felt he retired early.

 

Also we make a big deal of guys retiring or announcing retirement.

 

For example guys like Yuvraj,Gambhir,Sehwag and recently Pathan tried to go back to domestics and make a comeback as they felt they still have a shot and age on their side but they saw the writing on the wall and called it at the right time.

 

Special mention to Rayudu :) also felt his retirement was at the right time.