5 cricketers who might retire after the ODI World Cup 2019

The ODI World Cup 2019 is less than a year away from now. England and Wales brace themselves to host the 12th edition of the tournament. All the teams are grinding it out to find the right combinations for the prestigious event. As the countdown begins, the excitement only gets bigger. While the biggest players like Virat Kohli, Mitchell Starc will find themselves on the posters of the campaign, there are a few who would be featuring in their last World Cup. The flip side to the enormity of the event is that the game might bid adieu to some of its top servants over the years after the tournament.

Here are 5 top cricketers who might call it quits after the ODI World Cup 2019

#1 MS Dhoni

This might bring sadness to numerous Indian cricket fans. It's sad but true that the sun is setting ever so slightly for the best finisher the game has ever seen. MS Dhoni left the longest format of the game in 2016 and since then, there seems to be only one aim that he is headed for. The 37-year-old has been an integral part of the Indian ODI side for over a decade and he would love to finish on a high. Even though his batting prowess has diminished a bit in the past couple of years, yet his presence behind the wicket is paramount. Famous for playing the most important knock of Indian cricketing history in the final of the 2011 World Cup that brought glory to the country after 28 years, the most successful captain would love to sign off with another silverware. Check out the World Cup 2019 schedule here

#2 Chris Gayle

The Superman of the shortest format of the game - Chris Gayle is one of the crowd favorites. Undoubtedly, he has been the biggest crowd puller of all time, be it for Windies or RCB at the Chinnaswamy or any other franchise cricket. Gayle is now 38-years-old and certainly, the next one would be his last World Cup. The left-hander hasn't been a consistent feature in the Windies ODI line-up for a few years. But the destroyer of the cricket ball would want to wear the brown jersey for the one last time at the biggest event of the game. He might continue playing T20 cricket after the World Cup 2019 but we might see the last of the Universe Boss in 50-over cricket next year.

#3 Lasith Malinga

Talk about skillful bowling and you can't miss mentioning Lasith Malinga. The Sri Lankan maestro has been making life difficult for the batsmen all over the world with his toe-crushing yorkers. Sri Lanka has been making to the finals of several World events over the years and Malinga has been massively responsible for those. He led his side to a resounding victory in the World T20I 2014 but the 50-over World Cup victory is still eluding him. He was a part of the Sri Lankan side that made it to finals of 2007 and 2011 editions. The 35-year-old may not play international cricket after 2019 but he would be raring to finish with the crown.

#4 Shoaib Malik

Pakistan's long-lasting all-rounder - Shoaib Malik is on the verge of retiring from ODI cricket. He has already announced that he would hang up his boots from ODIs after the World Cup 2019 however, he would continue playing T20 cricket. The right-hander would leave behind massive boots to fill in. Malik began his career way back in 1999 and was primarily an off-spinner. Gradually, he excelled in the batting department and went on to become a pillar of Pakistan's middle-order. He has won several matches for his country with both bat and bowl. The most significant win of his career came last year when Pakistan defeated India to win the Champions Trophy and the same country is set to host the World Cup 2019 and the 36-year-old will have his eyes firmly set on that.

#5 Dale Steyn

One of the best pacers of the game - Dale Steyn is at the end of his career. Having terrorized the opposition batsmen throughout his career, he has earned the crown of being the best pacer from South Africa. There haven't been too many batsmen who have handled the pace and swing of Steyn comfortably. During his peak, he used to pick up wickets for fun. But the last couple of years haven't been easy as the pacer struggled with injuries. He has been in and out of the side quite often. The 35-year-old recently made a comeback to the South African Test side. Even though he didn't feature in the ODI side recently against Sri Lanka, yet he would be hoping to represent his nation one last time in colored clothing in the World Cup 2019. Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

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5 cricketers who might retire after the ODI World Cup 2019

#2 Chris Gayle