The unretired: Pakistan cricketers who called it a day and then returned

Through the years, some of Pakistan’s top players have decided to hang their boots, only to backtrack on their call and mark a return, seemingly unsatisfied by the drab life of a retired cricketer.

Here are five Pakistan cricketers who came out of retirement.

Shahid Afridi

The overlord of retracted retirements. The peaks and troughs of Afridi’s Test career were just as enthralling as his batting style, one that saw him play 27 Tests across 12 years, and none between 2006 and 2010. In April 2006, Afridi announced his Test retirement with one eye on the following year’s World Cup. Two weeks later though, he decided to return after being persuaded by PCB chiefs. Surprisingly, he did not play the format until 2010, when he featured in one series, and decided to hang up his boots.

In 2011, Afridi announced a ‘conditional’ retirement after being stripped of ODI captaincy, but, rather dramatically, returned months later. His final ODI retirement came after the 2015 World Cup, but he continued to play T20Is until he retired from the format in 2017. The following year, he made one final comeback, captaining the ICC World XI side, after which he announced his final retirement. Phew.

Imran Khan

Pakistan’s megastar quit international cricket after the 1987 World Cup at the age of 35, seemingly bringing an end to a storied career. However, within a year, calls asking for his return grew significantly – PCB even sent out a formal request which he declined.

Fans were upset, but it was the then president of Pakistan, General Zia Ul Haq, whose request prompted Imran to return to the field again. As it panned out, five years later, he had led Pakistan to the World Cup title in one of the sport’s most incredible success stories, and Imran retired with the glittering silverware in his arms.

Javed Miandad

A career that was both successful and controversial appeared to reach its close in 1994, when Javed Miandad, then 36, announced his retirement after being overlooked by selectors. At that time, he was Pakistan’s leading run-getter in Tests and had led the side in 14 wins in his 34 Tests as captain.

However, for one of Pakistan’s greatest batsmen, it wasn’t really the end. Ahead of the 1996 World Cup, he earned a dramatic comeback after allegedly being convinced (much like Imran Khan) by Benazir Bhutto, the then-Prime Minister, to play the marquee event. Returning to the ODI team after three years, his comeback turned out to be a damp squib, and he announced his final departure after losing to India in the quarter-finals.

Wahab Riaz

Wahab Riaz played 27 Tests from 2010 to 2018, before taking an “indefinite break” from red-ball cricket aged 34, leaving Pakistan with a rather inexperienced bowling attack. Misbah-ul-Haq, their head coach, was vocal in his displeasure, criticising both Wahab and Mohammad Amir, who also quit Test cricket, for the timing of their retirement.

As things go, Wahab made a u-turn two years later, stating that he is ready to play Test cricket. Part of the combined Test and T20I team for the England tour, he said he was willing to come out of retirement for the team if needed, revealing that the board had asked him about the possibility of returning to contention. Despite linking with the squad recently, Wahab hasn’t played a Test since 2018.

Mohammad Amir

In a decade-long career that has seen it all, Mohammad Amir’s been at the centre of plenty of twists and turns, adding another chapter to his remarkable tale by announcing his sudden Test retirement in 2019, saying that his renewed focus lay on white-ball cricket. In December last year, he extended it to international retirement, claiming he was “mentally tortured” by PCB.

Within months though, reports of Amir’s possible comeback started surfacing. In January, he clarified that he would be open to a recall only if the management leaves. The saga might keep stretching on, but at 28, Amir’s Pakistan career is unlikely to have been completely wrapped up.