Legendary cricketers who serve their country for a long span deserve a farewell match after they decide to hang up their boots. The Board must take the responsibility to provide a felicitation if possible at their home ground where they could enjoy the last moment of the international atmosphere.
But over the years we have seen many selfless cricketers who retire with a bang and did not want a farewell match or perhaps was being denied. Whether it was to keep the emotion out of it or some rift with the board or perhaps the decision came after being forced. A poor and comprehensive series defeat also impelled some captains to take such calls with immediate effect. Some cricketers were too unfortunate who had to retire after a serious injury.
MS Dhoni is someone who set up a perfect example of this. The man who was never going to make leaving an emotional act. No farewell Test, speech or even press conference. Boom. Gone.
Remember how the Fab Four of Indian cricket was forced to retire and all of these four batting pillars (perhaps five) didn”t get a perfect farewell they deserved. Sachin’s ODI retirement came as a surprise, Ganguly’s call at the last moment in an ongoing series didn”t gave him the opportunity to play the last at his home, Laxman’s rift and Dravid’s volunteer retirement didn”t fetch the final felicitation they deserved. According to Reports, Virender Sehwag also did want a farewell match but the Board denied it.
Let’s have a look at these famous figures in the cricketing world who were the victims of such cases
- Zaheer Khan
COUNTRY: India
FORMAT(s) OF RETIREMENT: All
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2015
- MS Dhoni
COUNTRY: India
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: Tests
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: Dec, 2015
- Shane Watson
COUNTRY: Australia
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: Tests
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2015
- Virender Sehwag
COUNTRY: India
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: All
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2015
- Tillakaratne Dilshan
COUNTRY: Sri Lanka
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: Tests
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2013
- Sachin Tendulkar
COUNTRY: India
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: ODIs
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: Dec, 2012
- Graeme Smith
COUNTRY: South Africa
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: All
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2014
- Rahul Dravid
COUNTRY: India
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: Test
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2012
- Jonathan Trott
COUNTRY: England
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: All
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2015
- Mark Boucher
COUNTRY: South Africa
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: All
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2012
- VVS Laxman
COUNTRY: India
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: All
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2012
- Ryan Harris
COUNTRY: Australia
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: All
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2015
- Nasser Hussain
COUNTRY: England
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: All
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2004
- Graeme Swann
COUNTRY: England
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: All
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2013
- Brad Haddin
COUNTRY: Australia
FORMAT OF RETIREMENT: All
YEAR OF RETIREMENT: 2015