Dawid Malan retires

Currently 37, Malan played more than 100 international matches for England across formats, including 22 Tests, 30 ODIs and 62 T20Is. While he didn't manage to crack Test cricket (average of 27.53), Malan, in his own words, "exceeded expectations" in white-ball cricket.

Malan made 1,450 runs in 30 ODIs at an average of 55.76 and a strike rate of 97.44, including six hundreds and seven fifties. Such was the soliditity that he offered at the top, that England had to make the tough call of dropping incumbent opener Jason Roy for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India and going ahead with Malan. In fact ,he is only one of two ODI batters with 1000 runs, 55-plus average and a strike rate over 95. In T20Is, Malan scored 1,892 runs at 36.38 and 132.39, including one hundred and 16 fifties.

Malan: I can say I am genuinely satisfied

As quoted by the ECB, Malan expressed contentment on his career. "It has been an incredible journey since July 2017," he said. "I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to play for England in all three formats.

"Cricket, like most sports, is an industry where almost everyone eventually retires wishing they had done that little bit more. Whether you’ve played ten Tests or 100, many step away regretting not playing just one more, scoring a few more runs, or winning more trophies.

"Right now, as I retire from international cricket, I can say I am genuinely satisfied."

In an interview with the Times, Malan did express his disappointment at not having cracked Test cricket, though. "Test cricket was always the pinnacle for me growing up," he said. "At times I played well but in between just wasn't good enough or consistent enough, which was disappointing because I felt I was a better player than that."

The left-hander's last international appearance came in the 2023 ODI World Cup, against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens. Most recently, he was part of the Oval Invincibles squad in the Hundred, where he scored 189 runs from nine games. He also has various other franchise gigs at his disposal.

Speaking on the retirement, ECB managing director Rob Key said: "Dawid Malan retires after an excellent international career marked by resilience and determination. Early on, he had to fight for every opportunity, often facing some of the best teams in the world.

"His contributions were pivotal, particularly during the memorable World Cup victories in Australia, where he played an integral role in the team's success.

"His legacy will be remembered as one of tenacity and achievement on the international stage—traits any player would be extremely proud to have."

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