Retire then Unretire

[wpdavid]

Cyril Washbrook may be worth a mention. He was dropped after the 1950/51 tour of Australia and NZ and by 1956, aged 41, he was considered so past it that he was one of England's selectors. During the selectors' meeting after our batting had struggled in the first two tests in the 1956 Ashes, he was asked to leave the room for a bit. When they allowed him back in, he was invited to play in the 3rd test. Good job too. After we again lost three quick wickets, Washbrook and May put on 200+ to set up an innings win.

 

[Prince EWS]

Cyril Washbrook may be worth a mention. He was dropped after the 1950/51 tour of Australia and NZ and by 1956, aged 41, he was considered so past it that he was one of England's selectors. During the selectors' meeting after our batting had struggled in the first two tests in the 1956 Ashes, he was asked to leave the room for a bit. When they allowed him back in, he was invited to play in the 3rd test. Good job too. After we again lost three quick wickets, Washbrook and May put on 200+ to set up an innings win.

This is probably my favourite cricket story.

 

[andruid]

Steve Tikolo. Some others were just inexplicably available for selection into their 40s

 

[mr_mister]

Bob Simpson is the craziest example, retired from test and FC cricket at 31, came back a decade later at 41 straight into the test team and scored a hundred almost immediately

 

[AndrewB]

Reginald Moss played a dozen times for Oxford Univ in the late 1880s, and a couple more FC games in 1893.
32 years later (aged 57) he played his only county match, for Worcestershire.

 

[Coronis]

Bob Simpson is the craziest example, retired from test and FC cricket at 31, came back a decade later at 41 straight into the test team and scored a hundred almost immediately

The best thing Kerry Packer did for cricket.

 

[BazBall21]

Pietersen briefly retired after it's not easy being me

 

[Adorable Asshole]

The best thing Kerry Packer did for cricket.

I thought it was the color jerseys.