Retirement in cricket is a fairly sensitive topic. While most players hang up their boots after they have entered the saturation point in their careers, the others are compelled to take this decision due to a few factors. Hence, we have seen plenty of cricketers who took early retirement from the sport.
New Zealand is one of the most underrated cricket teams. While the team did go through a lull phase, in recent years, the Kiwis have been in good form. However, when it comes to retirement, a few from the nation have also taken surprising decisions. In this article, we take a look at five New Zealand cricketers who took early retirement from the game.
1. Greg Loveridge – 28 Years Old
Greg Loveridge was a promising leg-spinner in New Zealand cricket. He got a chance to play for his country at the age of 20. However, he fractured his finger while batting on his debut and hence, could not bowl.
After playing a few games in the 2002/03 domestic season, the leggie drifted away from the game. He studied in England and, at one point, became one of the richest people in New Zealand.
2. Robbie Hart – 29 Years Old
After Adam Parore retired from the game, Robbie Hart was the first-choice wicket-keeper for New Zealand. Across 2002 and 2003, the right-handed batsman represented the Black Caps in 11 Tests and 2 ODIs. The player scored 260 runs at an average of 16.2 in the red-ball format.
At the age of 29, Robbie decided to call it quits. He wanted to focus on a different career stream and hence, took the decision. Robbie is also a lawyer and worked at multiple firms before starting one of his own.
3. Corey Anderson – 30 Years Old
When he came on to the scene, everyone predicted Corey Anderson to achieve big things in his career. He also did that for a few years. However, he became one of the cricketers who took early retirement.
After suffering from a spate of injuries and bad form, at the age of just 30, Corey Anderson retired from the game. He followed it up by signing a three-year contract with the US-based Major League Cricket T20 competition. The all-rounder will now feature in the states and there is also a possibility that he would represent the nation in the future.
4. Shane Bond – 34 Years Old
Shane Bond is also one of the cricketers who took early retirement from the sport. A cricketer who once revolutionized fast bowling for the Black Caps, Bond suffered too many injuries in his career.
Hence, at the age of 34, the pacer decided to quit the game. After his retirement, Bond has been involved as a coach. He currently belongs to the backroom staff of Mumbai Indians.
5. Brendon McCullum – 35 Years Old
Now, it is common for players to retire when they have become old and are not in good form. However, it is a surprising call if they make the decision when they are in their prime. Brendon McCullum did just that when he was 35 years old. In 2016, just a year after he led his country to the World Cup final, Bazz retired from the game.
Even at the World Cup and in his final Test series, the Kiwi legend was at his aggressive best. He also broke quite a few records in his last game. Despite this, he stuck to his decision of drifting away from international cricket. Later on, he played franchise cricket for few years before picking up the role of a cricket coach.
