5 Players Whose T20 Career Might Be Over After Poor Performance In T20 World Cup 2021

The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 has come to an end. Contrary to a lot of cricket pundits’ prediction, Australia won the ICC title for the very first time in the history of T20 cricket. Aaron Finch and Co. played against New Zealand in the summit clash and registered a clinical eight-wicket win.

The ICC event was played for close to a month. Fans across the globe witnessed some sensational performances with both bat and ball. Some prominent names came up with special performances and also wrote their names in the history books.

However, the tournament also proved to be a nightmare for some players. Because of poor performances, a few of them might not be able to play for their international team ever again in the shortest format. In this article, we look at five such players whose T20 career might be over after poor performance in T20 World Cup 2021.

5 Players Whose T20 Career Might Be Over After Poor Performance In T20 World Cup 2021

1. Steve Smith

Australia silenced all the critics who doubted their ability to win the title. Aaron Finch and Co. exhibited sensational performances and lifted the trophy for the first time in the history of the tournament.

However, keeping in mind the preparations for the next year’s edition, Australia might want to make a change in the playing XI. Steve Smith, who endured a poor outing in the tournament, might make way for someone else in the team.

The T20 cricket demands big hitting and Steve Smith might have to work really hard on his game to adapt to the nature of the format. One doesn’t seem to really put in a lot of confidence on Steve Smith when it comes to T20 cricket. In 7 matches, Steve Smith managed only 74 runs at a dismal strike rate of 97.18. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if Steve Smith would no longer be part of Australia’s scheme of things from here on in T20 internationals.

2. Lendl Simmons

West Indies cricketer, Lendl Simmons is remembered for playing valuable knocks in 2009, 2014, and 2016 editions of the ICC T20 World Cup. Given the amount of experience he had of playing at the big stage, West Indies put faith in him and included him in the squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. However, the opener endured a poor outing with the bat.

He played the first two games in the tournament before being excluded from the playing XI for the rest of the tournament. In his last game against South Africa, he used 35 balls to score 16 runs. West Indies lost that game by 8 wickets.

There is no denying that Lendl Simmons’ T20 cricket career is all but over. With a lot of youngsters looking to grab a chance, Lendl Simmons is unlikely to play for West Indies ever again.

3. Ravi Rampaul

The 37-year old Ravi Rampaul was selected in the West Indies squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 on the back of impressive performances in the CPL 2021. He was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament, picking 19 wickets in 10 matches.

However, he couldn’t replicate those performances in the T20 World Cup. The veteran West Indies fast bowler failed to make an impact with the ball, having managed to pick only 2 wickets in 4 matches. With age not on his side, Ravi Rampaul is unlikely to be part of the West Indies scheme of things in T20 internationals going further.

4. Chris Gayle

After West Indies’ last game against Australia in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Chris Gayle expressed his desire to play another World Cup for the team. However, he went on to say that West Indies won’t allow him given the kind of performances he showcased in the tournament. In 5 matches, he scored only 45 runs at a strike rate of 91.84.

The Universal Boss is hoping that West Indies give him one more game in Jamaica where he would like to bid goodbye to the game. The West Indies Cricket might give him one more game to show respect to the legendary cricketer but his desire to play further isn’t likely to be fulfilled, to say the least. The harsh truth is the fact that Chris Gayle’s International cricket career is done and dusted.

5. Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik, some time ago, stated that he would take retirement from T20 internationals after the T20 World Cup 2021. He wasn’t initially selected in Pakistan’s squad for the tournament. However, later he replaced an injured  Sohaib Maqsood and also played all the games in the showpiece event.

Malik scored a couple of notable innings in the tournament, including an 18-ball half-century against Scotland. He is currently 39-year-old and still looks quite fit to play a couple more years.

Having said that, Pakistan would surely be looking to give opportunities to young cricketers with 2 ICC events coming ahead. Malik hasn’t made any announcement regarding his retirement from T20 internationals but it shouldn’t come as a surprise if he does that.