Players who retired too early.

[RossTaylorsBox]

That was 10 years ago.

 

[Kirkut]

I doubt he could stand in a field for more than 2 hours in a day by the stage he retired

He retired in 2010 from tests and was quite fit. The real deal on subcontinental tracks, especially on abrasive wickets with reverse swing.

 

[jcas0167]

John Bracewell was only 32 when he retired, had no fitness issues and was still NZ's best spinner.

 

[Daemon]

Wasn’t he just playing last week

 

[Prince EWS]

Wasn’t he just playing last week

Probably still a better spinner tbf.

 

[BazBall21]

David Gower but it was basically taken out of his hands.

Cook and Graeme Smith often mentioned when this question comes up but I actually think they retired at the right time and would have struggled if they went on. Having said that, Cook of course probably still would have done better than the guys England had to try in the aftermath.

 

[jcas0167]

Would have loved to see Gower v Warne in that 93 Ashes.

 

[BazBall21]

Would have loved to see Gower v Warne in that 93 Ashes.

Yes that would have been fun. England needed Gower’s help in India too ofc on that shambles of a tour.

 

[slippy888]

Adam Parore

 

[Moss]

Daryll Cullinan was 33-34 during his final series in the Windies in 2001 (Courtney Walsh's farewell series), even topped the run charts I think. Don't recall the exact circumstances but I think he had a dispute with the board and refused to come back. There weren't too many other South African batsmen from the Cronje-Pollock era I really enjoyed watching in full flight.

Surprised no one has brought up Marcus Trescothick yet.

 

[morgieb]

Daryll Cullinan was 33-34 during his final series in the Windies in 2001 (Courtney Walsh's farewell series), even topped the run charts I think. Don't recall the exact circumstances but I think he had a dispute with the board and refused to come back. There weren't too many other South African batsmen from the Cronje-Pollock era I really enjoyed watching in full flight.

Surprised no one has brought up Marcus Trescothick yet.

For examples of this I don't like bringing up examples of players retiring because of health issues. And he did continue to play county cricket until he was 43-44.

 

[Moss]

For examples of this I don't like bringing up examples of players retiring because of health issues. And he did continue to play county cricket until he was 43-44.

Yup fair enough, was a retirement for a specific reason.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Graham Thorpe.

Seemed to be pretty much hurried into retirement by the (frankly wrongheaded) decision to prefer Ian Bell to him for the 2005 Ashes.

Big Dunc misrepresented it as a straight choice between him and KP, when it reality it was a perm two from three call.

Have little doubt the, er, doughty left-hander would've contributed more than Ding Dong, England winning the series notwithstanding.

Oh, and he was also denied a (likely) century in his 100th and final test when Vaughan pulled the plug with him on 66* on the second day after only 78 overs.

 

[Calm_profit]

Daryll Cullinan was 33-34 during his final series in the Windies in 2001 (Courtney Walsh's farewell series), even topped the run charts I think. Don't recall the exact circumstances but I think he had a dispute with the board and refused to come back. There weren't too many other South African batsmen from the Cronje-Pollock era I really enjoyed watching in full flight.

Surprised no one has brought up Marcus Trescothick yet.

Maybe he was scared to face Shane Warne later that year.

 

[Moss]

Graham Thorpe.

Seemed to be pretty much hurried into retirement by the (frankly wrongheaded) decision to prefer Ian Bell to him for the 2005 Ashes.

Big Dunc misrepresented it as a straight choice between him and KP, when it reality it was a perm two from three call.

Have little doubt the, er, doughty left-hander would've contributed more than Ding Dong, England winning the series notwithstanding.

Oh, and he was also denied a (likely) century in his 100th and final test when Vaughan pulled the plug with him on 66* on the second day after only 78 overs.

I don't doubt that he would have gone better than Bell in the ashes, but he was starting to fade about then IIRC. Struggled with Graeme Smith's part time spin in South Africa the previous winter. Was still probably one of the top 7-8 bats in the country but not sure he had all that much left in the tank then.

 

[GIMH]

Given the decision to bolster the batting at The Oval when Jones went down, might Thorpe have got the nod had he not retired hastily after not getting selected?

Suspect we might have gone for Colly anyway under the 'all-rounder' guise but he only bowled a handful of overs as I recall

 

[BoyBrumby]

Given the decision to bolster the batting at The Oval when Jones went down, might Thorpe have got the nod had he not retired hastily after not getting selected?

Suspect we might have gone for Colly anyway under the 'all-rounder' guise but he only bowled a handful of overs as I recall

Yeah, maybe. Although Fletcher seemed very much a "my way or highway" type of coach, so once (as he saw it) Thorpe had thrown his toys, that was probably it for him.

I mean, Colly for Jonah not exactly like for like. I think Jimmeh had been 12th man for every test, so probably had the right to feel a little aggrieved he wasn't used once the Welsh Stallion had shed a shoe.

 

[fredfertang]

Not that he had a lot of choice, but James Taylor

 

[wpdavid]

Surprised no one has brought up Marcus Trescothick yet.

Another one who didn't have much choice at international level due to his mental health issues. Of course, we went on for years afterwards at county level.

Without checking, has anyone mentioned Andrew Strauss yet? Even in decline, he was better than most of the guys who tried to replace him.

 

[wpdavid]

Graham Thorpe.
Oh, and he was also denied a (likely) century in his 100th and final test when Vaughan pulled the plug with him on 66* on the second day after only 78 overs.

Sounds like payback for Thorpe depriving Alex Tudor of a test century a few years earlier.