Top 3 cricketers who made a comeback after their retirement in ODI

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world and is certainly a very uncertain and unpredictable game. The cricketing world has witnessed many legends who have not only played the game as a superstar but have also gained massive popularity and have been a source of inspiration to the athletes across the globe because of their style of play.

Representing the nation at the international stage against the best teams in the world is a big achievement in itself. However, some cricketers choose to take voluntary retirement from the game after devoting a certain period of time to the sport. Surprisingly, a few of them had to return to the cricketing arena as their team demanded their presence in the field.

Here are the top three players who made a comeback after taking voluntary retirement from the limited-overs format of the game.

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# 3 Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen is certainly the best limited-overs English Batsmen of 21st century, scoring over 4000 runs at an impressive average of 40.43. The attacking middle-order batsman made his ODI debut against a weak Zimbabwe team in the year 2004 in their backyard. The South African-born player gained massive stardom when he scored a stupendous 108 off 96 balls against a quality South African bowling attack in the same season. The innings grabbed attention from every corner of the world. Pietersen decided to retire from the ODI format of the game on May 31st, 2012.

However, he made a comeback in international limited-overs cricket during England's tour of India in 2012-13, scoring merely 185 runs in the five-match bilateral ODI series.

He played his last one-day International game against arch-rivals Australia in September 2013, in which he was unfortunately run out for a duck.

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# 2 Carl Hooper

Carl Hooper of West Indies

Carl Hooper was one of the most successful all-rounders to play for the West indies in the limited-overs format. Hooper shot into prominence when he scored a tremendous century against India in his second Test match at the Eden Gardens in 1987. His consistent performances in the limited-overs format made him a regular feature in the West Indies ODI side.

Hooper announced his retirement three weeks before the 1999 World Cup, which left the West Indies selectors dumbstruck. However, he made a comeback in the year 2001, when his team was struggling to perform at the international level. He captained the side in the 2003 World Cup but unfortunately, the team could not perform well and he was replaced by Brian Lara.

#1 Imran Khan

Pakistan Captain Imran Khan 1992 Cricket World Cup Final

Imran Khan is arguably one of the best all rounders to have ever play the game. He made his Test debut against England in 1971 but unfortunately, he went wicket-less in the game. The fast bowler became an immediate superstar in 1975, when he picked up five wickets in two ODI matches against England at an average of 11.80.

Khan announced his retirement after the 1987 World Cup as the Pakistan team failed to make it beyond the semi-final stage. However, upon President Zia-ul-Haq’s request, he made a comeback into international cricket in 1988, leading Pakistan to their solitary World Cup win in the year 1992.