Which is worse: Abandoning the team during crisis or hanging on for too long?

[Swashbuckler]

Only a few cricketers time their retirements at the right time eg Lara, Gavaskar, Inzi, Ganguly, Cook etc. Mostly it is one extreme or the other.

1) Some players find the going too tough and desert the sinking ship. Such players prefer to be part of winning culture and don't want to suffer declining team results or difficult transition phase, eg Swann, Dhoni in tests. Or may be they want to maximize earnings in T20 leagues after their international team has passed its peak, like AB is doing right now and McCullum before that. Sometimes their ego can't handle their declining numbers or the fact that they are getting overshadowed by lesser players, mainly done to protect their stats and reputation. These players leave a big hole in the team because it takes time to make an adequate replacement. Not being too judgmental but strangely some even choose to retire in the middle of a series like Murali, Sanga and Herath thus giving a jolt to their team's chances. It can be argued that Herath was already too old but if he wanted to bow out why not make himself available for the full series? His (or Sanga against India) mere presence in the dressing room could have helped his younger team mates. Of course some may retire after debilitating injuries, health concerns, personal reasons, depression or inexplicable loss of interest in the sport, not talking about them.

2) Players who hang on well past their expiry dates. Some do it for selfish reasons like milestones, brand endorsements, fame, power etc. Others do it because cricket is the only thing they know and they can't imagine their lives without it, pure passion and obsession. A few do it to accomplish some unfulfilled dream despite them not being in a stage to contribute much to the cause. Or maybe they themselves aren't aware of their decline and have delusions about their abilities. Prominent examples will be Ponting, Sachin, Dhoni (ODIs, T20s), Kapil, Misbah, Jayasuriya, Miandad, Viv, Botham, Afridi and a host of others. This list will be quite extensive and I guess dominated by subcontinental players.

Which is worse? Don't tell me both, just choose one. I am conflicted about this. While I loathe the players who overextend their stay, the 1st case often escapes our attention. For instance what Villiers has done with his retirement, throwing SA's world cup preparation and chances into jeopardy, I can't think of a more selfish way to bow out. To see him strutting around in BPL and other leagues while his country can use his services is sad to see. I think he did it to maximize his earnings. If it really was fatigue or loss of interest, why would he travel outside SA to play so soon after retirement?

Hence I choose option 1. Both options have selfishness as a common cause but there is also an aspect of cowardice and lack of responsibility in the first case. Whatever you say about the likes of Dhoni and Misbah, they have tough skin and the guts to deal with failures, disappointments and media/public criticism. You can't blame them for lacking mental resilience, they fight till the last day and never surrender.

 

[Bilal7]

Abandoning the team but only if the cricketer in question continues playing domestic cricket in order to make money. If someone is truly burnt out and their passion for playing cricket is gone, then you cannot blame them.

Hanging on for too long is never a player's sole fault. The selectors, captain and cricket board are all equally at fault.

 

[Smbhayi]

Ganguly and Cook right time?

 

[jnaveen1980]

Depending who abandons who hangs on

 

[rhony]

What AB did is inexcusable. He left the team dry with no succession plan. Its abondoning.

What Malik, Cook and to a certain extent Dhoni are doing is inexcusable as well. However, they are just taking advantage of the situation. They are trying hard, keeping themselves fit. But, they are also keeping youngsters away.

I consider the former a bigger crime. Atleast in the 2nd case, there is time to groom or earmark someone else for the future while the oldie is in the thick of things.

 

[jnaveen1980]

What AB did is inexcusable. He left the team dry with no succession plan. Its abondoning.

What Malik, Cook and to a certain extent Dhoni are doing is inexcusable as well. However, they are just taking advantage of the situation. They are trying hard, keeping themselves fit. But, they are also keeping youngsters away.

I consider the former a bigger crime. Atleast in the 2nd case, there is time to groom or earmark someone else for the future while the oldie is in the thick of things.

Dhoni is leveraging the brand he built over the years. If he says he is going to hang on even after world cup nobody will stop him.

 

[rhony]

Dhoni is leveraging the brand he built over the years. If he says he is going to hang on even after world cup nobody will stop him.

He will not hang around. He will still play IPL I think

 

[Swashbuckler]

Hanging on for too long is never a player's sole fault. The selectors, captain and cricket board are all equally at fault.

That is a very good point and escaped my mind. The player in the second case alone is not at fault and board/selectors/captain/coach/seniors may have their valid/misguided reasons to keep the player in the active scheme of things. Reasons may be grooming of youngsters or to prevent initiation of raw rookies to tough campaigns, more time to prepare replacements in FC etc.

Ganguly and Cook right time?

Ganguly post his 2006 comeback had a very good run, probably his best phase in terms of contribution to the side. Played a big role in a couple of wins against SA home and away, had a bumper series when Pakistan toured India in 2007, a good England tour, even his last series against Australia was a fruitful one. When he retired fans asked why and not when !!!

Cook too retired at the right time aged 33 unmindful of personal milestones. His replacements aren't good enough and he took the blows against strong bowling sides like Aus, NZ, Pak, Ind. His last innings was a match winning century. All players decline after a certain point, Cook didn't abandon his side during initial phase of transition but also didn't overstay.

 

[Buffet]

Abandoning international team to play in clubs is worse than hanging on for too long.

In first case, player is still playing, very selfish and entire blame goes to player. In second case, player is sharing the blame with selectors.

 

[The Viper]

Abandoning. Especially if you are still playing well. Going out on top is great but when you are such an important player, then it can hurt a lot. Sanga scores loads for Surrey so could have continued. Srilanka just needed an experienced head for a few extra years.

 

[Convict]

The first by far.

As others have pointed out the selectors could make that call of dropping a past it player.

 

[Hasan123]

Abandoning the ship is worse.

 

[PakLFC]

Hanging on for to long.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Interesting to see that most posters have called case 1 worse. But that is hardly discussed, we keep on harping about players who carried on for too long but players like AB, McCullum, Sanga, Swann hardly get called out for their early retirements or for abandoning their mates.

What AB did was the worst thing anyone of that stature can do? Steyn, Amla are well past their peak and they don't owe SA cricket anything. But to see them still turning up to give one final push for a WC and overseeing a tricky transition period in the test team shows AB in poor light. All his life he was hiding behind Smith, Amla, Kallis, shunning all responsibility and being a fairweather batsman. When he was stranded alone the way he has combusted warrants demerit points in his resume.

 

[light]

Interesting to see that most posters have called case 1 worse. But that is hardly discussed, we keep on harping about players who carried on for too long but players like AB, McCullum, Sanga, Swann hardly get called out for their early retirements or for abandoning their mates.

What AB did was the worst thing anyone of that stature can do? Steyn, Amla are well past their peak and they don't owe SA cricket anything. But to see them still turning up to give one final push for a WC and overseeing a tricky transition period in the test team shows AB in poor light. All his life he was hiding behind Smith, Amla, Kallis, shunning all responsibility and being a fairweather batsman. When he was stranded alone the way he has combusted warrants demerit points in his resume.

I completely agree with AB statement. He is still in his prime, should not have left SA in a ditch-hole. It's like out of the blue, Kholi calls it a quit, you would need 2-3 batsmen to fill his shoes. I don't remember much about how effective Swann was when he called it a quit, but both Sanga and McCullum were on hot form. Either Sanga or Jayawardena should have hanged around for a while, looking at srilanka, gotta feel sorry for them. On the other hand, McCullum's absence did not do much for NZ. Taylor + Guptil + Williamson is doing a fine job.

TBH If i had to choose, I would choose players past their glory days hanging around as the worst option out of the 2 given. Because surely someone better is waiting in the pipeline - I.E Dhoni's replacement - PANT who can do a better job for the team. Hurts the team more.

 

[introvert]

Hanging on for too long intentionally or unintentionally is more worse than abandoning. This kind of selfish players block youngster's path.
Abandoning is player's personal decision we should respect it imo.
But in case of "hanging on for too long" trio of selectors, captain,coach are equally responsible.
Cricket is team sport after all,an individual can contribute to success of a team but he can't be bigger than a team.

In case of dhoni selectors,kohli & shashtri played big role in keeping him in the team till the worldcup. Compared to kohli, dhoni had more guts to build fresh team during champion's trophy 2013.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Abandoning is worse. It's a personal choice which hurts the team. Sticking around is not just player's choice, the selectors and coach also control it.

What ABD did was inexcusable. Playing domestic T20s instead of World Cup is baffling.

 

[Haroon786]

Interesting to see that most posters have called case 1 worse. But that is hardly discussed, we keep on harping about players who carried on for too long but players like AB, McCullum, Sanga, Swann hardly get called out for their early retirements or for abandoning their mates.

What AB did was the worst thing anyone of that stature can do? Steyn, Amla are well past their peak and they don't owe SA cricket anything. But to see them still turning up to give one final push for a WC and overseeing a tricky transition period in the test team shows AB in poor light. All his life he was hiding behind Smith, Amla, Kallis, shunning all responsibility and being a fairweather batsman. When he was stranded alone the way he has combusted warrants demerit points in his resume.

It's first case by far, but I don't think it's fair to group BMac and Sanga together with AB and Swann because they left at a time when in BMac's case where you still had good players like KW and Taylor in the team and NZ have blossomed further since his retirement and Sanga was in his late 30s, so even if he did stay on, it would not have been for so long.

The remainder - AB and Swann were all flogged hard at the time of their retirements and rightly so, it was un-manly and unbecoming of their respective stature in the game to when both could have performed for at least several years more. Cowardly behaviour and I would say the same if my favourite player in the Pakistani team would do that too or anyone else in the world.

 

[Swashbuckler]

It's first case by far, but I don't think it's fair to group BMac and Sanga together with AB and Swann because they left at a time when in BMac's case where you still had good players like KW and Taylor in the team and NZ have blossomed further since his retirement and Sanga was in his late 30s, so even if he did stay on, it would not have been for so long.

The remainder - AB and Swann were all flogged hard at the time of their retirements and rightly so, it was un-manly and unbecoming of their respective stature in the game to when both could have performed for at least several years more. Cowardly behaviour and I would say the same if my favourite player in the Pakistani team would do that too or anyone else in the world.

Fair enough. But I feel case 2 cricketers get more flak than case 1. And they continue to get ridiculed long after retirement but circumstances around Swann's retirement are never mentioned.

I think BMac retired too early, he was in form and only 33-34. He retired just before his team's tough tours to SA and India. He had a great record in India and could have used that series as his final one, instead an inexperienced batting lite NZ side faced us and got destroyed in all 3 tests. Similarly Sanga retired in the middle of the series, he missed the series decider and harmed Lanka's chances. His presence in the final test could have even ensured a series victory, I never understand why these Lankan greats retire in the middle of a series.

Also some players retire early to ensure their stats don't get affected too badly in later years, that too is selfish and cowardly.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Fair enough. But I feel case 2 cricketers get more flak than case 1. And they continue to get ridiculed long after retirement but circumstances around Swann's retirement are never mentioned.

I think BMac retired too early, he was in form and only 33-34. He retired just before his team's tough tours to SA and India. He had a great record in India and could have used that series as his final one, instead an inexperienced batting lite NZ side faced us and got destroyed in all 3 tests. Similarly Sanga retired in the middle of the series, he missed the series decider and harmed Lanka's chances. His presence in the final test could have even ensured a series victory, I never understand why these Lankan greats retire in the middle of a series.

Also some players retire early to ensure their stats don't get affected too badly in later years, that too is selfish and cowardly.

BMac had a very succesful career and he left the team on a high note. NZ has been doing great in all formats since his retirement because of the foundation he laid. McCullum was a good batsman but not an ATG who couldn't be replaced, unlike ABD.