The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 is only a month away. For the following cricketers, this also means the clock is ticking on their one-day international career.
Shoaib Malik:
An energetic, healthy batsman, practical off-spinner, brilliant field player and successful captain – Shoaib Malik has long been one of Pakistan’s most dynamic, reliable and complete cricketers.
Malik is a veteran of 282 ODIs and has 7,481 runs – the fifth highest for Pakistan – with a world-class figure that leads alongside 156 wickets and 96 catches. He opted for a two-decade period that began in 1999, when he announced that the World Cup would be his swan song last June, ahead of Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe.
In the absence of several regular and senior players, Malik took over Pakistan’s second division game against Australia in March this year. They suffered a 5-0 defeat. However, his experienced head and sound decision-making abilities will prove useful when Sarfaraz Ahmed takes back the coat for the flagship tournament.
Chris Gayle:
The punchy West Indian returned to ODI setup after seven months, in February, and effectively started his final run as an ODI player when he announced the World Cup as his final one-day tournament just before his first return leg
Not long after that, he asked people why he was leaving when, on his return in four innings, he scored 424 runs along with the use of two centuries and two fifties against high-ranking England.
Should he emerge in a similar mood at the World Cup, he could give West Indies his first ever since 1979 for the title.
JP Duminy:
The South African all-rounder will continue to be available for T20 internationals, but after the World Cup he will not be in ODI.
In March, Duminy announced its decision to leave the 50s format. One day after he posted the news, he played his last home in his hometown of Cape Town.
Duminy debuted in Colombo against Sri Lanka. He went on to have a career that was damaged by injuries. Nevertheless, he is one of the top 10 goalscorer in his country with 5047 runs and is with six ODI, the seventh South African, who denies 200 games in the format.
Imran Tahir:
South Africa’s timeless leg spinner has covered more miles on the cricket field at its high octane celebrations than other activities. But after the World Cup this year, he will do nothing in ODIs.
Like his teammate Duminy, Tahir has announced his intention to continue to play T20Is, where he has always been happiest and best. However, that does not change the fact that he was the most successful spinner in this format in South Africa with 162 scalpels, with an average of 24.21.
Dale Steyn:
Dale Steyn’s otherwise outstanding, injury-free run has been hampered by an annoying shoulder over the last year or two. Nevertheless, he remains one of the fastest and most feared bowlers in the world.
Indisputable South Africa’s biggest test of all time, Steyn’s Limited Overs career is not so well-decorated and celebrated. Despite his ability to trample on the best in the world at his fast, fast pace, Steyn will be one of the lynchpins of the South African World Cup campaign.
Although nothing is confirmed, Steyn announced in July last year his desire to break away from the limited formats. After South Africa had taken the semifinals of the World Cup 2015 to New Zealand, he was seriously injured after a heartbreaking resignation of the country.
