At the age of 29, the West Indies all-rounder Nicholas Pooran announced his retirement from international cricket, which was indeed an early phase of his cricketing career. His sudden decision to exit across all formats, just eight months before the T20 World Cup 2026, sparked alarms among the test-playing nations’ cricket boards, particularly Pakistan.
Few reports have cited that decision of Nicholas Pooran could points out the new trend, where several players snub their national commitments to prioritize tempting opportunities in global T20 and T10 tournaments.
Meanwhile, the former West Indies captain Daren Sammy predicted that several players could follow Pooran’s footsteps.
Which Pakistani Cricketer wants to follow Pooran’s Trend of Early Retirement?
Experts have predicted that Shaheen, at the age of 25, could announce his retirement at an early stage due to his attitude and lack of cooperation. Also, he was recently sidelined from Pakistan’s T20I squad along with Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan.
Moreover, there are gossips in the dressing room that a few players were inspired by decision of Nicholas Pooran and are planning to retire from international cricket.
It is to be noted that Azam Khan, the son of former Pakistani captain Moin Khan, has not played even a single game in domestic tournaments since the completion of the T20 World Cup in June 2024. The main reason why national selectors have ruled him out of a high-profile tournament is due to his lack of involvement in competitive cricket and fitness issues.
Furthermore, the former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali added spice to the heated debate. He hinted about Azam’s miserable cricket career and took to his ‘X’ by adding a post that another possible retirement is on the way.
Why did Cricketers start to Prefer Franchise Leagues over National Duties?
Several trustworthy sources cited that one of the main reasons for cricketers all over the world to show interest in franchise leagues is due to their complicated relationships with their nation’s cricketing board. Most often, they are being excluded from international contests and are not even provided fair opportunities to prove their talent.
Shifting to franchise cricket could be a promising option for cricketers who want to continue their careers and increase their revenue without succumbing to the physical and psychological pressures of international duties.
Moreover, the cash rewards are much more lucrative in the league’s shorter formats than the revenue they earn playing for their national team in tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
Are Pakistani Cricketers Focusing on Franchise Cricket?
Possibly, some Pakistani cricketers are more interested in playing franchise leagues rather than representing their national team. If such happens, then most of them might announce their retirement from international cricket at an early age.
For example, the left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir, who retired from international cricket in December 2024, is still active in his cricket career and continues to play across multiple franchise leagues in a single calendar year. However, he refused to withdraw his retirement to play for Pakistan as he did in March 2024 ahead of the T20 World Cup that year.
Likewise, the 31-year-old all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has kept himself busy participating in foreign T20 leagues after being sidelined from the national squad for more than a year.
PCB to Take Strict Disciplinary Action Against Players
According to the recent investigation, it is reported that certain senior cricketers of the present Pakistan squad were involved behind the scenes of power struggles and tried to influence their decisions in the squad. In addition, there were complaints about the team management’s behavior toward certain players, citing unfair favoritism.
This prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to take disciplinary action against those disrespectful players, keeping in mind the unity and professionalism of the team.
However, the PCB is clear with its standards of prioritizing discipline, regardless of how famous or talented a cricketer appears to be. But, rules and the game come first, then comes the players’ stardom.
Daren Sammy Fears that More Players Could Follow Nicholas Pooran’s Style
The two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain and current head coach of the West Indies, Daren Sammy, predicted that more players will follow Nicholas Pooran’s approach. Therefore, it becomes challenging for every nation’s cricket board to keep their players motivated to participate in international matches. Here’s what the 41-year-old said:
“Yes! Long back, my intuitions indicated that something would happen like this, and I wished to have him (Nicholas Pooran) in the squad. But nothing is in my control, nor do I have authority over anybody’s career.
From now on, we need to move on and have a proper game plan without Pooran. With a few months left for the T20 World Cup, I respect his decision to inform early enough, which helped us to gain more time to prepare our plans in his absence.
I can say with confidence that several cricketers will follow his trend. That is how T20 cricket has influenced, particularly in the West Indies, we have faced the challenges of keeping our players encouraged to play for our nation.
For example, the retirements of Heinrich Klaasen and Quinton de Kock at an early age were certainly out of our control. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if players from different nations follow the early retirement pattern in the forthcoming days,” Sammy explained.
Conclusive Facts
Daren Sammy’s warning message outlines the fact that several players, particularly the Pakistanis, will certainly announce their retirement at an early age due to their deteriorating political relationship with PCB.
In conclusion, it remains to be observed how every Pakistan cricketer exhibits their passion to stay competitive in international cricket on a long-term basis.