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5 players who retired from Test cricket to prolong their limited overs careers

Cricadium Staff
By Cricadium Staff
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MS Dhoni

#5 Shoaib Malik

The Pakistani all-rounder made his Test debut in 2001 but didn’t have a hugely successful career in the format. He was a regular feature in the ODIs but somehow, Test cricket just wasn’t his cup of tea. He played 35 Tests in which he scored 1898 runs and had only 3 centuries to his name.

In 2015, Malik decided to rest his case in the longest format of the game and opted to concentrate in ODIs and T20Is. The 35-year-old is still a part of the ODI and T20I outfit for the country and his recent achievement was in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy where Pakistan defeated the arch-rivals India in the final to become the champion of champions.

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MS Dhoni
Test cricket, the oldest format of the game, is the toughest of them all. It tests the skills and the mental strength of the players over the course of 5 days and only the best survive. It's the dream of every cricketer to represent the national side in the longest format of the game. Over the years, the players who did well in Test cricket are the ones who are remembered as the absolute legends of the game. But the whites can have a huge impact on the players. As a player gets older, Test cricket can be mentally tiring and it demands one to be physically very fit. For a player in the 30s, it gets difficult with each passing year and he has to take a decision some day to remain involved in the game. There have been a few players who left the format in between and focussed on the ODIs and T20Is.

Here are 5 such players who hung up the boots from Test cricket to prolong the limited overs careers

#1 MS Dhoni

The former Indian captain represented the side in 90 Tests and led them to the pole position in the ICC Test rankings. He captained the side in 60 Tests in which India emerged victorious on 27 occasions making him the most successful captain for the country in Test cricket. But his own form, as well as the record of the team, began to diminish during 2014/15 when India played mostly overseas and struggled to win. During India's tour to Australia in 2015/16 when the two sides played 4 Tests. Dhoni decided to call it a day in Test cricket after the completion of the 3rd game and handed over the reigns to Virat Kohli. Later on, he left the captaincy in ODI and T20 formats as well making Kohli the skipper across all formats. The wicketkeeper is still a prominent member of both the limited overs squad of India.

#2 Lasith Malinga

The Sri Lankan fast bowler burst onto the scene in the year 2004 in Test cricket and found immediate success. He went on to represent the side across all 3 formats and became a regular member of the side. He was a deadly bowler, especially in limited overs cricket but injuries didn't help his cause and he was having troubles to cope with the demands of 5-day cricket. Malinga hung up his boots in April 2011 after playing 30 Tests for the country where he bagged 101 wickets. His limited overs career was indeed prolonged as he is still pretty active in the Sri Lankan ODI and T20I squad. He went on to captain the side in the T20 format where he led the side to a triumph in the 2014 ICC World T20.

#3 Jacob Oram

The former Kiwi all-rounder was an important member of the side in all 3 formats. He was one of the 6 players from New Zealand to have scored 1000 runs and pick up 100 wickets in Tests. But his career had a fair share of injuries as he was always troubled. To reduce the workload, he announced his retirement from the longest format of the game in 2009. His primary focus after that was the 2015 ODI World Cup in which his side made it to the semi-finals. Oram represented the side in 33 Tests in which he scored 1780 runs and bagged 60 wickets. He played ODIs and T20s for the nation until 2012 after which he retired from international cricket.

#4 Shane Watson

Watson was 0ne of the finest all-rounders to have ever represented the Australian side. He was hugely successful as a top-order batsman as well as a frontline seamer. But at the age of 34, he couldn't hold on to the same kind of form as his initial days. An injury to calf muscles forced him to retire from Test cricket in 2015. He played in 59 Tests for Australia accounting for 3731 runs and picking up 75 wickets. Although his international career didn't last too long post that and prolonged for just over 8 months. He walked away from the game completely in 2016, playing his last international match against India in the ICC World T20.

#5 Shoaib Malik

The Pakistani all-rounder made his Test debut in 2001 but didn't have a hugely successful career in the format. He was a regular feature in the ODIs but somehow, Test cricket just wasn't his cup of tea. He played 35 Tests in which he scored 1898 runs and had only 3 centuries to his name. In 2015, Malik decided to rest his case in the longest format of the game and opted to concentrate in ODIs and T20Is. The 35-year-old is still a part of the ODI and T20I outfit for the country and his recent achievement was in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy where Pakistan defeated the arch-rivals India in the final to become the champion of champions.

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