Picking an Old-Guy Cricket XI
Some cricketers hit the peak of their career early on, making waves in the first few years of their time in international cricket and taking advantage of the verve of youth.
However, some others perhaps do not flourish until late in their careers, when advancing years do not affect the standard of their play and instead see them play even better.
A select few also do even better in the twilight of their careers than they perhaps did earlier on, or maybe they kick on and show a great deal of improvement as they age.
With that in mind, read on for a team made up of players who flourished late in their careers.
1. Graham Gooch
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Opening the innings is Englishman Graham Gooch, who improved with age and ended his career by scoring a glut of runs for his country.
Even his three-year ban for leading the first rebel tour to South Africa did not prevent him from stacking up the runs before he retired at 42.
Gooch reached his zenith in 1990, when as a 37-year-old he hit 333 against India at Lord’s and followed it up in the second innings with 123.
2. Jack Hobbs
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Joining Gooch atop the order comes Jack Hobbs, the Englishman who was prolific both before and after the First World War, especially after, in spite of his advancing years.
A total of 197 first class centuries speaks for itself, as does the fact that he finally gave up international cricket at the grand old age of 48.
3. Kumar Sangakkara (wk)
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Keeping wicket for our side is a player who has maintained phenomenal consistency in spite of his age—Kumar Sangakkara.
Always an important part of Sri Lanka’s batting order, the 37-year-old is still a key wicket for opposition bowlers to take.
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4. Mahela Jayawardene
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Joining Sangakkara in the top order is his Sri Lanka team-mate Mahela Jayawardene, another 37-year-old who has kept up a phenomenal run aggregate despite being a senior player.
Retirement may beckon soon, but having been in international cricket since 1997, Jayawardene can reflect on a long and consistent career.
5. David Steele
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Perhaps a surprise selection at No. 5, David Steele did not play for England until he was 33, against a rampant Australia team.
However, he made the most of his opportunities, even against the Australians and the terrifying West Indies pace attack. He made a real impact in just eight Tests.
6. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
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He may be batting lower than expected in this team, but Shivnarine Chanderpaul deserves a spot for holding together the West Indies batting lineup in recent years.
Now over the age of 40, Chanderpaul has managed to remain the lynchpin of his side’s order even as other key players have retired.
7. Richard Hadlee
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One of a number capable of captaining this side, all-rounder Richard Hadlee kept up with the high demands of international cricket throughout his long career.
The first active cricketer to be knighted for his services to the game, Hadlee’s retirement left an enormous void at the centre of New Zealand cricket.
8. Shane Warne
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One of a number of spinners in this team, Shane Warne was always a prolific wicket-taker but upped the ante in his final years.
Forty wickets against England in 2005 made a big difference for Australia, and the leg-spinner was vital even in his last games.
9. Andy Bichel
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Another to come seemingly out of nowhere, Australian seamer Andy Bichel was in and out of the squad but came into his own as a 32-year-old in the early part of the century.
He was enormously helpful to his team’s victory in the 2003 Cricket World Cup but was strangely dropped soon after.
10. Rangana Herath
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Having stepped out of Muttiah Muralitharan’s considerable shadow, spinner Rangana Herath has shown massive improvement even at the age of 36.
The left-arm spinner is now Sri Lanka’s main spinning threat, and he should have a couple more years left in international cricket.
11. John Traicos
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John Traicos had quite an international career, as he first appeared for South Africa in 1970 then returned for Zimbabwe in 1992.
He was still the best off-spinner in the country and made quite an impact as he took 5-86 in Zimbabwe’s inaugural Test and removed a young Sachin Tendulkar for a duck.
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