Cricketers who hung up their boots in 2024
Cricket
Their retirements left a significant gap in the cricket world.
By Anees-ur-Rehman
Cricket fans around the world must be recalling the moments of joy and heartbreak on and off the field as the eventful year comes to a close.
In 2024, the cricket world witnessed the farewell of several legendary players, marking the end of remarkable careers.
Among the notable retirements were Ravichandran Ashwin, James Anderson, David Warner, Moeen Ali, Tim Southee, and Shikhar Dhawan.
These cricketers had been integral parts of their respective teams, and their retirements left a significant gap in the cricket world.
Their contributions to the game will be remembered for years, and their absence will undoubtedly be felt in international cricket.
Here is the list of cricketers who retired in 2024.
James Anderson (All formats)
James Anderson, one of cricket's greatest Test players, retired in 2024. His final Test for England came in July, marking the end of his international career. Anderson, who last played a T20I in 2009 and an ODI in 2015, retired as the second-most capped Test player (188), behind Sachin Tendulkar (200). With 704 Test wickets, he holds the record for most by a fast bowler, ranking third overall behind Warne (708) and Muralitharan (800).
David Warner (All formats)
David Warner retired from Test cricket during the 2023 Ashes in England, with his final Test series against Pakistan at home. He also retired from ODIs after the 2023 ICC World Cup final against India. Warner played 112 Tests, scoring 8786 runs, and 161 ODIs, amassing 6932 runs, with 48 centuries in both formats. Australia won him farewell by whitewashing Pakistan in his final Test series. In June 2024, Warner retired from T20Is after the ICC T20 World Cup.
Ravichandran Ashwin (All formats)
After India’s third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket. Debuting in 2010, Ashwin played 106 Tests, 116 ODIs, and 65 T20Is, claiming 537, 156, and 72 wickets respectively. A capable batter, he scored 3503 Test runs with six centuries. Ashwin shares the record for the most Man of the Series awards in Tests (11) with Muttiah Muralitharan.
Tim Southee (Test cricket)
New Zealand bowling legend Tim Southee retired from Test cricket in 2024 after 107 matches. Debuting in 2008 against England, his final Test was also against them in Hamilton. Southee took 391 wickets, the second-most for New Zealand, and scored 2245 runs, hitting 98 sixes – the joint fourth-highest in Test history. A remarkable career spanning 16 years ended on a high.
Mohammad Amir (All formats)
Pakistan left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir, who returned from international retirement for the ICC T20 World Cup earlier this year, officially ended his Pakistan career in December. Amir, once embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal, represented Pakistan in 36 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 62 T20Is, claiming 119, 81, and 71 wickets respectively during his rollercoaster career.
Imad Wasim (All formats)
Imad Wasim also returned from international cricket retirement to play in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, but could not secure a win for Pakistan. In December 2024, Wasim announced his retirement from international cricket. The former all-rounder played 55 ODIs and 75 T20Is, scoring 986 and 554 runs respectively, and taking 44 wickets in ODIs and 73 in T20Is.
Muhammad Irfan (All formats)
Left-arm fast bowler Muhammad Irfan has announced his retirement from international cricket. Irfan played four Tests, 60 ODIs, and 22 T20Is for Pakistan, taking 10 wickets in Tests, 83 in ODIs, and 16 in T20Is. At 42, he remains active in domestic cricket, currently representing Khan Research Laboratories in the President’s Cup.
Moeen Ali (All formats)
England all-rounder Moeen Ali announced his retirement from international cricket on September 8, 2024, at 37. Ali played a key role in England’s 2019 World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup victories. He debuted in 2014 and featured in 68 Tests, 138 ODIs, and 92 T20Is, scoring 6678 runs and taking 366 wickets in his career.
Shikhar Dhawan (All formats)
Opener Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket on August 24, 2024. He leaves with 2315 Test runs, 6793 ODI runs, and 1579 T20I runs, including 17 ODI centuries and seven Test hundreds. Dhawan played a key role in India’s 2013 Champions Trophy victory and was India’s top scorer in multiple major tournaments. His last international match was in 2022.
Dawid Malan (All formats)
Former No 1 ranked ICC T20I batsman Dawid Malan announced his retirement from international cricket on August 28. Malan, one of only two England batsmen (alongside Jos Buttler) to score centuries in all three formats, made his T20I and Test debuts in 2017 and ODI debut in 2019. He scored 1074 Test runs, 1450 ODI runs, and 1892 T20I runs.
Virat Kohli (T20Is)
Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20 internationals after receiving the Man of the Match award in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final, where his 76 helped India defeat South Africa. Kohli retires as the second-highest T20I run-scorer and a two-time Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cups.
Rohit Sharma (T20Is)
After guiding India to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20Is. He became the third Indian captain to win a World Cup title. At the time of his retirement, Rohit was the leading run-scorer in T20Is and the second-highest run-scorer in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Ravindra Jadeja (T20Is)
After India's victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Ravindra Jadeja announced his retirement from T20Is, joining Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He shared the news on social media the day after India’s win. Jadeja will continue to play for India in other formats. He played 74 T20Is, scoring 515 runs and taking 54 wickets.
Dean Elgar (All formats)
South African opener Dean Elgar announced his retirement from international cricket before the December-January 2023-24 Test series against India. He played his final match in the New Year's Test at Newlands, Cape Town. Elgar scored 5347 runs at an average of 37.92 in 86 Tests, with 14 centuries and 23 half-centuries. He also captained South Africa in 18 Tests.
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Colin Munro (All formats)
After being excluded from the T20 World Cup 2024, New Zealand opener Colin Munro announced his retirement from international cricket in May. Munro last played for New Zealand in 2020, featuring in 65 T20Is, 57 ODIs, and one Test match. Despite not being selected for the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, he continued playing franchise cricket in hopes of making the 2024 edition.
Dinesh Karthik (All formats)
Veteran India cricketer Dinesh Karthik retired from all forms of cricket, including the IPL, at 39. His retirement followed the omission from India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad, despite a strong IPL 2024 season. Karthik’s career spanned from 2002/03, playing 94 ODIs, 60 T20Is, 26 Tests, and featuring in 256 IPL matches, concluding with the 2022 T20 World Cup.
David Wiese (All formats)
All-rounder David Wiese retired after the T20 World Cup 2024, having played 54 T20Is and 15 ODIs for South Africa and Namibia. Wiese left South Africa in 2016 for a Kolpak deal and debuted for Namibia in 2021, helping them reach the Super 12 in the T20 World Cup. He will continue playing in T20 franchise leagues.
Shannon Gabriel (All formats)
West Indies pacer Shannon Gabriel announced his retirement on August 28 at 36. Gabriel played 59 Tests, 25 ODIs, and 2 T20Is, taking 202 wickets. He holds the fourth-best match figures for a West Indian (13/121) in Test cricket. Known for his pace and bounce, he was compared to legends like Patrick Patterson and Ian Bishop.
Matthew Wade (All formats)
On October 29, 2024, Australia wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade announced his retirement from international cricket. Debuting in 2011, he played 36 Tests, 97 ODIs, and 92 T20Is, scoring 1613 runs in Tests, 1867 in ODIs, and 1202 in T20Is. Wade played a key role in Australia’s first ICC T20 World Cup title in 2021, especially his memorable semi-final knock against Pakistan.
Shakib Al Hasan (T20Is and Tests)
Regarded as Bangladesh's greatest cricketer, Shakib Al Hasan retired from T20Is and Tests in 2024 but will continue to play ODIs. He leaves T20Is with 2251 runs, the most for his country, along with 149 wickets, also a national record. In Tests, he scored over 4000 runs and took more than 240 wickets.
Heinrich Klaasen (Tests)
South African wicket-keeper Heinrich Klaasen retired from Test cricket on January 8, 2024, to focus on limited-overs formats. Klaasen made his Test debut in October 2019 and earned just three more Test caps, scoring 108 runs. His final Test appearance was against the West Indies in March 2023 at Wanderers, Johannesburg.
Neil Wagner (All formats)
New Zealand left-arm seamer Neil Wagner retired from international cricket earlier this year after being informed his services were no longer needed. Wagner played 64 Test matches for New Zealand between 2012 and 2024, taking 260 wickets. He was also a key member of the Kiwi team that defeated India in the 2021 World Test Championship final.
Mahmudullah (T20Is)
Former Bangladesh captain and veteran all-rounder Mahmudullah, who retired from Test cricket in 2021, announced his retirement from T20Is in 2024. He will continue to be available for ODIs. Mahmudullah played over 130 T20Is, becoming Bangladesh’s second-leading T20I run-scorer, and also took 40 wickets in the format.
Wriddhiman Saha (All formats)
On November 3, 2024, Indian wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha announced his retirement from both international and domestic cricket, following the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season. Saha played 40 Tests and nine ODIs, scoring 1353 runs in Tests with three centuries. His last international match was in 2021 against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
Sybrand Engelbrecht (All formats)
Netherlands batsman Sybrand Engelbrecht announced his retirement from international cricket after the T20 World Cup 2024. Engelbrecht played 12 ODIs and 12 T20Is for the Netherlands since his debut in 2023. Born in Johannesburg in 1988, he had represented South Africa in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup.
Kedar Jadhav (All formats)
Kedar Jadhav, the 39-year-old Indian cricketer, announced his retirement from all forms of the game in June 2024. He played 73 ODIs and nine T20Is for India, scoring two centuries and six fifties. Jadhav was also part of the 2019 World Cup squad. His last international appearance for India was in 2020.
Brian Masaba (T20Is)
Uganda captain Brian Masaba retired from international cricket and stepped down as skipper following his team’s group-stage exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup. Masaba, an all-rounder, played 63 T20Is since his debut in 2009 and led Uganda for the last five years. This was Uganda's first-ever T20 World Cup, where they secured one win in four matches.
