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Cricketers who retired early because of severe injuries

Published

5 years ago

July 24, 2021

Editor

Injuries are considered an inevitable element of any sport but when the game is being played with a 150-gram ball made up of solid cork and leather and being delivered at lightning speed, you should expect numerous broken jaws, fractured ribs, and wounded heads. But the fact of the matter is that more serious injuries have materialized on the field of cricket by not just pace and bounce of the ball but also by the athletic and acrobatic stunts from the cricketers who in pursuit of giving their 100 percent on the field, often end up pulling a hamstring, twisting an ankle or fracturing their knees. There have been numerous instances when these injuries have proven more than ordinary hick-ups and have ended up costing players their careers. There are quite a few players who have been victims of injuries in their careers and let us go through a few of them.

Shane Bond

The speed star from New Zealand was renowned for his lightning pace. He was being viewed upon as one of the greatest after Sir Richard Hadlee. He is the fastest bowler to have emerged from the land of New Zealand. During his peak in 2003, this man was the real attraction in the world cup along with the likes of Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee. He has ripped through quite a few batting orders. He represented the black caps for nine years but this doesn’t tell the complete story. During his patchy career, he could manage to play only 18 tests and 82 ODIS thanks to the fragility of his structure.

Time and again he had issues with his back. The most serious of which was in late 2003 when he had surgery and his spine was transfused with titanium wire and was out for cricket for almost two years. Apart from these serious challenges, minute niggles were also frequently occurring which hindered his career. This speed merchant hung his shoes in 2010.

Nathan Bracken

The left-arm seamer from New South Wales was tall and well built with exceptional bowling abilities. He made his debut on the Australian side in the era when they had great Mcgrath, Lee, and Warne. He had the canny ability to move the ball back into the right-handers. He was definitely a guy with a promising future. He was ranked as the number 1 ODI bowler in 2008 and also he was declared Australia’s ODI player of the year in 2009. Like many other fast bowlers, he too had his share of injuries. But it was his knee injury that really curtailed his career and despite fighting all the odds, he decided to leave the game and planned to have his knee operated on.

Muhammad Zahid

Pakistan has a history of producing great fast bowlers. Most of them have unearthed from the province of Punjab. In the ’90s this pace bowling attack reached its crescendo and in those days it was considered almost impossible to penetrate into this attack. But surprisingly this lad from Gaggu Mandi made an impact in his debut test match against New Zealand with his ferocious pace and was and picked up 11 scalps. He was a genuine fast bowler with a great heart and was viewed upon as a great prospect for Pakistan cricket.

He suffered a back injury in the early part of his career and got operated on. This kept him out of the game but when he came back in 1999, he could never make the same impact again. He could manage to play only 5 test matches and 11 one-day internationals. He last represented Pakistan back in January 2003 and unfortunately could not make a comeback after that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-kt-ryfIyU

Craig Kieswetter

Born and raised in South Africa, Kieswetter played for Somerset in English county. Like few other players, he preferred England over South Africa for his international career and played 46 ODI and 25 T20 internationals. He was a hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman who liked to play his strokes and had opened for England in T20 cricket. The highlight of his career was winning the T20 world cup in 2010 in the Caribbean where he performed brilliantly along with Kevin Pietersen to clinch the 1st ICC title for his country.

In the 2014 season of English county, Craig Kieswetter was playing for Somerset against Northamptonshire where he met a very serious injury that shattered his aspirations of an illustrious career. He received a bouncer who went through his helmet and hit him on the face. He suffered from a broken nose and fractured cheekbone. The injury was quite serious indeed but nobody expected it to be a career-threatening one. But the later proceedings clearly proved the severity of the blow and Kieswetter tried his best to fight the ailment but the things never went his after that blow. He found it impossible to sight the ball and hence had to retire from all forms of the game.

Saqlain Mushtaq

He was a wily character with a wide range of deliveries up his sleeve. Saqlain’s mixed bag contained the off-spin, topspin, arm ball and the most potent of them all was the doosra. He is someone who resurrected the art of off-spin bowling by inventing doosra. He changed the paradigm of off-spin bowling and demonstrated that off-spinners were no more going to be a run containing articles. He was the fastest to 100 and 200 ODI wickets.

He suffered from a knee injury and had surgery in left knee in early 2004. He was out of international cricket for almost half a year before that. But in March 2004, Inzamam ul Haq called Saqlain Mushtaq back into the side to play a test match against India in Multan. Even though Saqlain argued that he was not 100 percent to play the game, but Inzi insisted that he needed him in the team because of the non-availability of a genuine off-spinner. The match however didn’t turn out to be great for Saqlain because he got some serious hammering at the hands of Virender Shewag who scored 309. Saqlain ended up with dismal figures of 1-204. He was immediately dropped from the side and the worst part about that was that his injury exacerbated his right knee also underwent surgery. However, after this surgery, he could never make a comeback into the Pakistan team and that meant the end of his career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIPQdTTtys

Saba Karim

Saba Karim is one of the lesser-known commodities in international cricket. He played as a wicketkeeper for India but for not a long duration. He could never really find his place in the Indian team even after his debut in 1996. After the failures of the Indian keepers such as Nayan Mongia and Sameer Dighe, Mongia was called into the Indian team in the 2000 series against South Africa. It appeared to all of Indians that this was his chance to solidify his spot in the team but destiny had planned something else. In the 2000 Asia cup at Dhaka Karim was standing behind the stumps when he got hit on the eye on the delivery of Kumble. He underwent surgery but all this could not prevent this injury from finishing his cricket career forever and hence he never played again for India.

Phillip Hughes

This gutsy left-handed batsman from South Australia was an elegant and promising cricketer with an illustrious career ahead of him. He played a couple of seasons for New South Wales before making his international debut. His stroke playing resembled that of great Mathew Hayden and he was as effective as the two legendary openers Langer and Hayden.

His story of injury is very different from the rest of the guys mentioned here because his injury didn’t just cost him his career but his precious life.

In November 2014 at Sydney, while representing South Australia against New South Wales, He received a bouncer from Sean Abbot that hit him just below his left year. Receiving the blow, he immediately fell down and went into the state of a comma. He was immediately hospitalized and the game was abandoned.

He remained in the state of coma for two days during which he underwent surgery as well. But unfortunately, the young lad at the age of 25 was not able to survive this blow and died on 27th November 2014.

The news came out as a shock to the entire cricketing fraternity and later serious concerns were raised on the safety of players and the use of better safety wares for the players. But this incidence clearly proves the point that cricket is by no means an easy game to play especially when you are facing a steaming fast bowler.

Cricket

“It’s Not in My Hand” – Shanaka Leaves Captaincy Decision to Selectors After World Cup Exit

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Editor

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka has admitted that his future as T20 skipper is no longer in his control following the team’s early exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, stating that the decision now rests entirely with selectors and Sri Lanka Cricket.

“I don’t know how long I will be as captain. It’s not in my hand; it’s up to the selectors and Sri Lanka Cricket. I’m happy to lead this team. I have taken some good decisions; in the meantime, some didn’t go as planned,” Shanaka said after Sri Lanka’s 61-run defeat to New Zealand.

His remarks came at the end of a turbulent campaign that began with promise but ended in disappointment.

Tactical Misread Proves Costly

Shanaka openly acknowledged that misjudging conditions played a key role in the heavy loss to New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Sri Lanka elected to bowl first, expecting the fresh surface to behave similarly to earlier matches.

“We thought the pitch would be a good one because it was new. We didn’t expect it to turn that much. It was a collective decision to bowl first. Unfortunately, it didn’t go the way we thought. It became another typical Kettarama wicket where the ball spun.”

New Zealand recovered from 84 for 6 thanks to a late assault, adding 70 runs in the final four overs to reach 168 for 7 — a surge Shanaka admitted proved decisive.

“They bided their time and then exploded. Conceding 70 runs in four overs was disheartening. If we had kept them around 130, we might have had a chance.”

Batting Collapse Seals Fate

Sri Lanka’s reply faltered immediately. Pathum Nissanka fell first ball, and regular wickets derailed the chase. Only Kamindu Mendis (31) and Dunith Wellalage (29) showed resistance, but the target was never seriously threatened.

Shanaka did not hide his frustration.

“We have some of the best batters in the country. Everyone walks out intending to win for Sri Lanka. It’s very disappointing that we couldn’t deliver anything for our fans.”

He also reflected on the narrow defeat to England earlier in the Super 8 stage — a result that, in his view, could have changed the team’s tournament trajectory.

A Campaign of Highs and Lows

Sri Lanka’s World Cup journey started brightly with wins over Ireland, Oman and Australia. However, a shock loss to Zimbabwe in the final group game shifted momentum dramatically.

Subsequent defeats to England and New Zealand ended hopes of a semi-final berth.

With one match remaining against Pakistan in Pallekele, Sri Lanka now play purely for pride.

“I have no words for the fans to say we haven’t given them anything to cheer for. But we will look forward to ending the tournament on a high,” Shanaka concluded.

What Next for Shanaka?

Shanaka’s comments suggest uncertainty over his leadership future. While he remains willing to continue, the final call lies with selectors and Sri Lanka Cricket — decisions likely to shape the next phase of Sri Lanka’s T20 rebuild.

As the curtain falls on a disappointing campaign, attention now turns to accountability, leadership direction, and whether change is on the horizon for Sri Lankan cricket

Cricket

Co-host Sri Lanka crash out after 61-run hammering by New Zealand in Colombo

Published

2 days ago

February 25, 2026

Editor

Co-hosts Sri Lanka were knocked out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after suffering a crushing 61-run defeat to New Zealand national cricket team in their Super Eights clash at R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday night.

Chasing 169 for victory, Sri Lanka faltered under pressure and limped to 107/8 in their 20 overs — a performance far below expectations for a side playing at home and carrying co-host status.

Powerplay Collapse Set the Tone

The chase never truly began. Sri Lanka crawled to just 20/2 in the Powerplay, a stark contrast to New Zealand’s 44/2 in the first six overs. The early damage left the middle order with too much to do, and the required rate kept climbing.

By the 14-over mark, the hosts were reeling at 71/6, effectively ending hopes of a comeback. The lack of intent against spin and disciplined seam bowling exposed Sri Lanka’s fragile batting unit on a surface that offered grip but was far from unplayable.

New Zealand’s Late Surge the Difference

Ironically, New Zealand themselves were under pressure at 88/6 in 14 overs. However, a crucial 50-run stand between Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie in the death overs swung momentum decisively.

The Black Caps plundered 70 runs in the final phase, finishing on 168/7 — a total that proved more than enough against Sri Lanka’s timid response.

The boundary count told the full story:

New Zealand: 8 sixes, 13 fours (100 runs in boundaries)
Sri Lanka: 1 six, 8 fours (38 runs in boundaries)

In modern T20 cricket, such disparity is unforgiving.

Tactical Questions for the Hosts

Sri Lanka’s elimination is particularly disappointing given their familiarity with conditions and strong home support. The batting approach appeared overly cautious, and the inability to rotate strike compounded the pressure.

Their 46% dot-ball percentage further underlined the stagnation in the chase — a worrying sign at this level.

As co-hosts, expectations were high for a deep run. Instead, Sri Lanka exit the tournament with serious questions over:

Batting intent in high-pressure chases
Middle-order stability
Tactical flexibility in crunch moments

End of the Roa

With this defeat, Sri Lanka’s Super Eights campaign comes to a premature end, while New Zealand march on with confidence and momentum.

For Sri Lanka, the heartbreak is magnified by the fact that the dream has ended on home soil — under the Colombo lights, in front of their own fans.

A tournament that promised pride and progress now closes with reflection and regret.

Cricket

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand in T20 World Cup: Head-to-Head Record, Past Results & Winning Trends

Published

3 days ago

February 24, 2026

Editor

As Sri Lanka prepare to face New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, history shows a competitive rivalry — but one where the Black Caps hold a slight statistical edge.

Here’s a closer look at the Sri Lanka vs New Zealand head-to-head record, their T20 World Cup results, and recent winning momentum.

Overall T20 Head-to-Head Record

Total Matches: 28
New Zealand Wins: 16
Sri Lanka Wins: 11
No Result: 1

New Zealand have won 57% of the encounters, giving them the overall advantage. However, Sri Lanka have delivered key performances on the World Cup stage.

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand – T20 World Cup History

2007 – Sri Lanka’s Dominant Chase

Johannesburg
New Zealand: 164/7
Sri Lanka: 168/3 (18.5 overs)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets

Sanath Jayasuriya’s 61 guided Sri Lanka to a comfortable chase. It remains one of Sri Lanka’s strongest T20 World Cup wins over New Zealand.

2010 – Last-Ball Drama

Providence
Sri Lanka: 135/6
New Zealand: 139/8 (19.5 overs)
Result: New Zealand won by 2 wickets

Sri Lanka defended hard, but New Zealand held their nerve to win with one ball remaining.

2012 – Thriller in Pallekele

Pallekele
New Zealand: 174/7
Sri Lanka: 174/6
Match tied – Sri Lanka won Super Over

One of the most dramatic T20 World Cup games between the two sides. Sri Lanka held their composure in the Super Over on home soil.

2022 – New Zealand’s Big Win

Sydney
New Zealand: 167/7
Sri Lanka: 102 all out
Result: New Zealand won by 65 runs

A heavy defeat for Sri Lanka, marked by a batting collapse while chasing 168.

Recent Form Comparison

New Zealand – Last 5 Matches

W, W, L, W, Abandoned
Strong consistency
Clinical in pressure situations

Sri Lanka – Last 5 Matches

W, W, W, L, L
Positive run earlier
Slight dip in recent matches

New Zealand appear slightly more consistent heading into recent contests, while Sri Lanka’s form has fluctuated.

Key Trends from Past Meetings

Sri Lanka Succeed When Chasing Well

Both their World Cup successes (2007 and 2012 Super Over) came when they handled pressure calmly.

New Zealand Dominate with Bowling Discipline

In 2010 and 2022, New Zealand’s structured bowling attacks made the difference.

Big Margins Favour New Zealand

Sri Lanka’s wins tend to be controlled or tight.
New Zealand’s wins often come through dominant bowling or strong finishing.

Winning Edge: Who Holds It

New Zealand Advantage: Overall record, recent dominant World Cup win (2022), balanced bowling attack.
Sri Lanka Advantage: Ability to thrive in pressure moments, strong spin resources, better familiarity with subcontinental conditions.

Final Analysis

New Zealand hold the statistical upper hand in T20 internationals and recent World Cup meetings. However, Sri Lanka have proven they can rise in high-pressure tournament moments — particularly when chasing or playing at home.

For Sri Lanka to shift the balance, they must:

Avoid middle-order collapses
Strike early in the Powerplay
Control New Zealand’s middle overs
Execute death bowling with precision

With history showing close contests and dramatic finishes, the Sri Lanka vs New Zealand rivalry remains one of the more balanced matchups in T20 World Cup cricket.