5 cricketers who retired in their early 30s

Michael Clarke

Only cricketer to score four double centuries in a single calendar year.

Michael Clarke made his international debut against England in an ODI at Adelaide in the year 2003, and he made his Test debut against India in Bangalore in 2004 - where he scored a valiant century. There was no looking back after that as he evolved to become one of the most exceptional players in the world.

Clarke took over the captaincy from Ricky Ponting in 2011 and enjoyed a purple patch for a brief period, as he smashed 12 centuries in his first 30 Tests as captain which included one triple century and a couple of double centuries.

In 2014, the demise of Phil Hughes, his close friend and teammate, had a huge impact on Clarke’s career. Even though Clarke showed immense maturity and great composure to handle the pain, he was never the same batsman that he was before.

He announced his retirement from international cricket in 2015 at the age of 34. Clarke even admitted that he should have retired immediately after Phil Hughes’s demise.

Clarke is the only Australian to score centuries on both home and away Test debuts. He is also the only cricketer to score four double centuries in a single calendar year.