Top 10 Players Who Retired Early From Cricket (2025 List)

It’s always sad when a great cricket player decides to hang up their boots. But it’s even more shocking when they retire early, right in the middle of their amazing careers. These players leave fans wondering, “What if they had played for a few more years?”

Sometimes, players retire because of injuries that won’t heal. Other times, they feel tired from playing so much cricket all year round. Some even leave to focus on their family or their mental health. It shows that even sports heroes are human, just like us.

This list looks at 10 amazing cricketers who retired from the international game sooner than anyone expected. We will look at why they left and remember how great they were on the field.

List of Cricketers Who Retired Early

Here is a quick look at the talented players who decided to step away from international cricket earlier than expected.

Rank	Player Name	Country	Age at Retirement	Primary Reason
1	AB de Villiers	South Africa	34	Fatigue / Burnout
2	Sarah Taylor	England	30	Mental Health (Anxiety)
3	James Taylor	England	26	Serious Heart Condition
4	Graeme Smith	South Africa	33	Personal Reasons / Burnout
5	Quinton de Kock	South Africa	29 (Test)	Spend More Time with Family
6	Meg Lanning	Australia	31	Personal Reasons
7	Mohammad Amir	Pakistan	28	Issues with Management
8	Ayesha Naseem	Pakistan	18	To Live Life by Religious Principles
9	Ben Stokes	England	31 (ODI)	Unsustainable Schedule
10	Craig Kieswetter	England	27	Serious Eye Injury

1. AB de Villiers (South Africa)

AB de Villiers, also known as “Mr. 360,” was a superhero on the cricket field. He could hit the ball to any part of the ground! His retirement in 2018 was a huge shock to everyone because he was still the best wicket keeper batsman in the world.

Player	Country	Retired At
AB de Villiers	South Africa	34

Background and Career Highlights:

• Achievements: Named the ICC ODI Player of the Year three times. He holds the record for the fastest-ever ODI fifty, hundred, and 150.
• Key Innings/Moments: His record-breaking 149 runs from just 44 balls against the West Indies is an innings nobody will ever forget.
• Statistical Analysis: He finished his Test career with an average over 50 and his ODI career with a strike rate over 100, showing he was both consistent and explosive.

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2. Sarah Taylor (England)

Player	Country	Retired At
Sarah Taylor	England	30

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Sarah Taylor is one of the greatest wicketkeeper-batters in the history of women’s cricket. Her talent was simply amazing, but she fought a long battle with anxiety that made playing very hard.

Background and Career Highlights:

• Achievements: Won two ODI World Cups and one T20 World Cup with England. She was known for her lightning-fast stumpings.
• Key Innings/Moments: She was a key part of the team that won the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup at home, a huge moment for English cricket.
• Statistical Analysis: With over 4,000 ODI runs and more than 200 dismissals across all formats, she was a true all-around star.

3. James Taylor (England)

Player	Country	Retired At
James Taylor	England	26

James Taylor’s story is heartbreaking. He was a talented and gutsy middle-order batsman for England whose career was just taking off. Sadly, he was forced to retire after being diagnosed with a very serious heart condition.

Background and Career Highlights:

• Achievements: He had just cemented his place in the England Test and ODI teams and was known for his energetic fielding.
• Key Innings/Moments: His fighting spirit was on full display when he scored a brilliant 98 not out against Australia in the 2015 World Cup.
• Statistical Analysis: His early retirement meant we only saw a glimpse of his talent, but his first-class average of 46 showed his immense potential.

4. Graeme Smith (South Africa)

Player	Country	Retired At
Graeme Smith	South Africa	33

Graeme Smith was a rock for South Africa. He became captain at just 22 years old and became one of the greatest leaders the game has ever seen. He was a tough, powerful opening batsman.

Background and Career Highlights:

• Achievements: He is the most successful Test captain in history, with over 100 Tests as captain. He led South Africa to become the #1 team in the world.
• Key Innings/Moments: He once came out to bat with a broken hand to try and save a Test match against Australia, showing his incredible bravery.
• Statistical Analysis: He is one of the few opening batsmen to have scored over 9,000 Test runs, proving his skill and toughness at the top of the order.

5. Quinton de Kock (South Africa)

Quinton de Kock is an explosive wicketkeeper-batsman who can win a game on his own. In 2021, he shocked the cricket world by retiring from Test cricket at just 29 to spend more time with his growing family.

Player	Country	Retired At (Test)
Quinton de Kock	South Africa	29

Background and Career Highlights:

• Achievements: He was named South African Cricketer of the Year twice. He has scored centuries in all three formats of the game.
• Key Innings/Moments: His attacking style of batting has led to many quickfire centuries that have turned games in South Africa’s favor.
• Statistical Analysis: He scored his 6,000 ODI runs faster than any other wicketkeeper in history, showing how dangerous he is in limited-overs cricket.

6. Meg Lanning (Australia)

Meg Lanning, also known as “The Megastar,” was the incredible captain of the dominant Australian women’s team. She led her team to win multiple World Cups and was one of the best batters in the world.

Player	Country	Retired At
Meg Lanning	Australia	31

Background and Career Highlights:

• Achievements: She captained Australia to five World Cup titles (four T20s and one ODI), making her one of the most successful captains ever.
• Key Innings/Moments: Her record-breaking 133 not out in the 2022 World Cup final was a masterclass in batting under pressure.
• Why It’s a Must-Watch: She holds the record for the most centuries in Women’s ODIs, proving she was a run-scoring machine.

7. Mohammad Amir (Pakistan)

Mohammad Amir was a brilliant left-arm fast bowler who could swing the ball at high speed. After a controversial start to his career, he made a great comeback but retired early from international cricket, saying he felt “mentally tortured” by the team management.

Player	Country	Retired At
Mohammad Amir	Pakistan	28

Background and Career Highlights:

• Achievements: He was the hero of the 2017 Champions Trophy final, where he took the key wickets of India’s top three batsmen.
• Key Innings/Moments: That opening spell in the Champions Trophy final against India is considered one of the best in modern cricket.
• Statistical Analysis: His ability to swing the new ball and bowl fast, deadly yorkers made him a threat to any batsman in the world.

8. Ayesha Naseem (Pakistan)

Ayesha Naseem’s retirement is one of the most surprising in recent memory. She was a fearless young batter for Pakistan, known for her incredible power-hitting. At just 18 years old, she quit cricket to live a more religious life.

Player	Country	Retired At
Ayesha Naseem	Pakistan	18

Background and Career Highlights:

• Achievements: She was quickly becoming known as one of the biggest hitters in women’s cricket.
• Key Innings/Moments: She hit some massive sixes against top teams like Australia, showing the world her amazing talent and fearless attitude.
• Statistical Analysis: Her strike rate was incredibly high for a young player, which showed she had the potential to become a T20 superstar.

9. Ben Stokes (England)

Ben Stokes is a true modern-day hero of English cricket. He is an all-rounder who plays with all his heart. In 2022, he retired from ODI cricket because he said playing all three formats was simply too much for his body and mind. (He later returned just for the 2023 World Cup).

Player	Country	Retired At (ODI)
Ben Stokes	England	31

Background and Career Highlights:

• Achievements: He was the hero of England’s 2019 World Cup final win and played one of the greatest Test innings ever at Headingley that same year.
• Key Innings/Moments: His unbelievable innings in the 2019 World Cup Final is a moment that will be talked about forever.
• Statistical Analysis: As a true all-rounder, he has scored thousands of runs and taken over 190 Test wickets, showing his immense value to the team.

10. Craig Kieswetter (England)

Craig Kieswetter was a powerful and attacking wicketkeeper-batsman for England. His career was cut short in a cruel way after a cricket ball hit him in the face, causing a terrible eye injury.

Player	Country	Retired At
Craig Kieswetter	England	27

Background and Career Highlights:

• Achievements: He was the Man of the Match in the final when England won their first-ever T20 World Cup in 2010.
• Key Innings/Moments: His aggressive 63 runs in that 2010 T20 final helped England win the trophy and showed his big-match temperament.
• Statistical Analysis: The injury meant he couldn’t play for long, but his high strike rate in T20s proved he was a player perfectly built for modern cricket.

Conclusion

It’s always tough to see talented players leave the game early. These 10 cricketers gave us so many amazing memories to cherish, even if their time on the international stage was shorter than we wanted.