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Nicholas Pooran's recent retirement from international cricket at 29 follows a trend of players prioritizing franchise leagues. Factors like mental health, family time, lucrative T20 leagues, and disputes with cricket boards contribute to this shift.
Former West Indies T20I skipper Nicholas Pooran has joined the list of players to make shock retirement calls this year. Pooran stunned the cricketing world by announcing his retirement from international cricket at the age of 29.
The 29-year-old shared a statement on his Instagram handle, where he stated that the decision to retire from his international career was made after ‘much thought and reflection. Pooran did not mention the exact reason behind his international retirement, but expressed his honour and privilege of playing for the West Indies and leading the Men in Maroon in T20Is. He thanked his fans, family, and friends for their unwavering support throughout his international career and wished the West Indies continued success in the future.
Nicholas Pooran’s retirement from international cricket came a week after Glenn Maxwell and Heinrich Klaasen made shock retirement calls. Australian flamboyant batter Maxwell called it quits from ODI cricket, while Heinrich Klaasen announced his international retirement at the age of 33.
The trend of star players retiring from international cricket at relatively young ages has raised concerns about the future of international cricket, as more players are likely to take a call on their national commitments and choose to focus more on mental health and lucrative T20 leagues.
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Is franchise cricket taking precedence?
Over the years, the franchise T20 leagues around the world, including the Indian Premier League, the Big Bash League, the Caribbean Premier League, the Pakistan Super League, and others, have gained massive financial and professional appeal, offering players lucrative deals and year-round opportunities, along with a greater flexibility and politically charged environment of international cricket.
The growing popularity of franchise T20 leagues has prompted many international players to prioritise these opportunities over national duty, opting for financial security, flexible schedules, and reduced mental and physical strain. One of the examples of players opting for franchise T20 leagues over national duty is when key South Africa players, who were contracted with the IPL franchises, made themselves unavailable for the Test and ODI series against Bangladesh in March-April 2022.
In August 2022, New Zealand veteran pacer Trent Boult decided to opt out of the central contract, the decision allowed him to play franchise T20 leagues. The same suit was followed by his teammate Kane Williamson, who rejected a new central contract just after announcing his decision to step down from captaincy across all formats of the game last year. South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock retired from Test cricket in 2021 and ODIs after the 2023 World Cup in order to prioritise T20 cricket.
This trend of star players opting out of the central contract or retiring from international cricket underscores a paradigm shift in modern cricket, where players are increasingly valuing personal well-being, financial stability, and career autonomy over the rigours and unpredictability of international cricket.
Mental health and lack of family time
One of the key factors that can be taken into consideration behind players' decision to quit international cricket is their mental well-being and spending time with their families. In 2024, Glenn Maxwell, who retired from ODI cricket, stepped away from cricket in order to address his mental and physical health issues. The packed calendar, including international and franchise cricket, has left players with no downtime, leading to mental fatigue, burnout, and a diminishing work-life balance.
The physical toll can also be attributed to certain players stepping away from international cricket. Maxwell announced his retirement from ODI cricket after he was unsure whether his body could cope with the physical demands of the 50-over format till the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, the veteran Australian cricketer would play in the T20 World Cup next year and franchise T20 leagues.
Due to a packed cricketing schedule, many players are unable to spend time with their families, and this prompted Heinrich Klaasen to step away from international cricket. South African batter, who played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the recently concluded IPL season, mentioned in his retirement post on Instagram that he wanted to spend time with his family.
With most of the international players constantly on the move due to national duties and league commitments, the lack of personal time with their families has prompted them to reassess their priorities and opt for franchise leagues, which offer better financial rewards with comparatively shorter commitments and more control over scheduling.
Burnout due to hectic schedules
Another reason for players stepping away from certain formats or entirely from international cricket is the increasing burnout due to relentless travel, training, and playing schedules that leave little room for recovery or personal time. Over the last several years, the modern cricket calendar has been crammed with bilateral series, ICC tournaments, and franchise leagues, making it impossible for players to maintain their peak performance across all formats.
The age factor could have also played a role in certain players retiring from international cricket or a particular format, given their bodies' struggles to cope with the physical demands and recovery time required at the highest level. Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis announced his shock ODI retirement ahead of the Champions Trophy as he wanted to devote the latter stage of his career to the T20 format for Australia and franchise.
Due to the crammed cricket calendar, players are increasingly forced to make difficult choices about where to invest time and energy, often leading them to favour shorter, more financially rewarding commitments in franchise cricket over the exhaustive demands of international schedules.
Players vs board dispute
The dispute between players and cricket boards is not a new phenomenon, but it has become more prominent in recent years due to the rise of franchise cricket and financial disparities between international and domestic commitments. This case has been lingering between Cricket West Indies and its players, with several high-profile names, including Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, and Kieron Pollard, having overpay cuts, a lack of communication, and contractual uncertainties.
In April this year, former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo slammed the board for their decision to sack Rovman Powell from the T20I captaincy and accused them of ‘bad treatment towards the players’. Such disputes have further alienated players from commitment to international duties. In Nicholas Pooran’s case, he informed the board not to include him in the ODI series against England before announcing his retirement from international cricket.
Moreover, the players are unable to acquire NOC from the board to play in the franchise leagues around the world. This came into light with regard to Klaasen’s retirement from international cricket. It was reported that Klaasen and South Africa's all-format coach, Shukri Conrad, failed to reach a mutual agreement with Cricket South Africa (CSA) for the wicketkeeper-batter’s desire to play four franchise leagues - the IPL, Major League Cricket (MLC), SA20, and The Hundred.
This lack of alignment between players’ ambitions and board policies has widened the rift, forcing the players to step away from international commitments and choose a path that offers career autonomy, clarity, and financial assurance. With boards unwilling to provide a Non-Objection certificate or accommodate individual scheduling preferences, cricketers are choosing to take matters into their own hands by putting freedom over formality and opting for environments where they feel respected, valued, and in control of their professional trajectory.
