4 Cricketers Who Won An ICC Event In Their Final Appearance

The most prestigious moment in a cricketer’s career is winning an ICC Trophy. Even if a player has the best stats among his contemporaries, unless they win an ICC event, it never feels good. And for a captain, success is usually measured on the basis of the number of ICC trophies he has in his cabinet.

Not every player gets to be part of a champion team, however. And a lot of hard work goes into the preparation for an ICC event. The reward is very sweet though and to culminate a career with an ICC trophy is the biggest honor a player can have.

Here, we take a look at 4 cricketers who won an ICC Event in their last match:

1) BJ Watling – New Zealand (2009-2021)

The most recent one that comes to memory is Kiwi wicket-keeper batsman, BJ Watling. He had announced his retirement prior to the England series. Following their 8-wicket win over India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Watling hung his boots with the prestigious ICC Test Mace.

BJ Watling retires as a @BLACKCAPS legend and a world champion 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QWx2C2PLjr

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 25, 2021

He was one of the most under-rated cricketers. The one to save the team from a precarious position – the crisis man. Watling was New Zealand’s first wicket-keeper to score a double ton in Tests. He also finished as the keeper with the highest dismissals for the Kiwis.

Although he didn’t have a memorable outing with the bat in the final, his teammates made sure he won a thoroughly deserved ICC event before retirement.

2) Michael Clarke – Australia (2003-2015)

The former Australian skipper was one of the best batsmen of his generation. He was also handy with his left-arm off-spinners, with the best bowling figures of 6/9 in Tests. In his final international game for the Australian side, Clarke led his team to victory in the 2015 ODI World Cup.

Clarke was appointed as the captain after Ricky Ponting’s retirement in the aftermath of the 2011 World Cup. The 40-year-old was unable to come to terms with Phillip Hughes’ death and announced his retirement prior to the World Cup. He went on to score a match-winning knock of 74 off 72 balls in the final at the MCG. Subsequently, Clarke received a standing ovation from the capacity crowd as he walked off.