The Australian cricket team has spent most of its time being at the pinnacle of world cricket. And it has only been possible because of the incredibly talented and passionate cricketers this country has produced over the decades. But some of these cricketers put their cap down too early in their cricketing careers. This article features five such Australian cricketers who took early retirement from their cricketing careers. So, let’s take a look at who they are.
Five Australian cricketers who took early retirement from their cricketing careers:
#1 Ian Craig:
Ian Craig was an Australian cricketer in the cricketing era of the 1950s. He holds the record for being the youngest Australian cricketer to represent and captain his national side in Test cricket. Craig is also the youngest Australian to hit a double century in First-Class cricket.
Ian Craig’s career began on a good note as he made his international debut early in his career. He also got to captain the Australian side at the age of just 22. But illness and commitments to his work in the pharmaceutical field forced him to take early retirement from first-class cricket at the young age of 26.
#2 Beau Casson:
Beau Casson is a former Australian left-arm Chinaman. Some of you might remember him as a part of the Australian Under 19 cricket team that won the U-19 Cricket World Cup 2002 held in New Zealand. He picked 12 wickets at a bowling average of 15.08 in six matches at the grandest stage of junior cricket. He also represented the Australian cricket team in a test match against West Indies in 2008.
Apart from this, Beau had a nine-year-long first-class cricket career. But for the safety of his health due to a heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, Beau was forced to take early retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 28.
#3 Simon Cook:
Simon Cook is the third Australian cricketer on this list who took early retirement from cricket. Simon is a former right-arm medium pacer who represented Australian national sides in two Tests. He had a dream debut for Australia as he claimed a fifer in the second innings against New Zealand, finishing the match with a tally of seven wickets.
However, he faded from the big picture due to constant injuries. Simon announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2004 at the age of 32.
#4 Nathan Bracken:
Nathan Bracken has represented Australia in all three formats of cricket. He played five Tests, one hundred and sixteen ODIs, and nineteen T20Is for the Australian cricket team from 2001 to 2009.
Nathan Bracken was part of the Australian side that won the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. He also represented Australia in the inaugural T20 World Cup. Nathan Bracken announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 33 in January 2011 due to a chronic knee injury.
#5 Michael Clarke:
Michael Clarke has been one of the best cricketers to play for the Australian cricket team ever. Clarke had a long International career spanning 115 Tests, 245 ODIs, and 34 T20Is. He was part of Australia’s 2007 World Cup-winning squad and led Australia to its fifth World Cup title in 2015.
However, Clarke started facing injury issues in early 2014. And after Phil Hughes’s unfortunate and untimely death later that year, his form dropped, and injuries became more frequent. He retired from all forms of cricket at the age of 34 in 2015 after the conclusion of the Ashes.
