Dawid Malan announces retirement from international cricket

Dawid Malan, the former No.1-ranked T20I batter for England, has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 37. 

Malan, who has been a prominent figure in England's white-ball cricket over the past decade, made the announcement in an exclusive interview with The Times.

In his statement, Malan reflected on his illustrious career, expressing a sense of fulfilment in his achievements in limited-overs cricket. 

"Test cricket was always the pinnacle for me growing up," he said. "At times I played well but in between just wasn't good enough or consistent enough, which was disappointing because I felt I was a better player than that.

Despite his success in T20Is and ODIs, the left-hand batters Test career never reached the heights he aspired to. He acknowledged the intensity of the format. 

"I took all three formats extremely seriously but the intensity of Test cricket was something else: five days plus the days building up. I'm a big trainer; I love hitting lots of balls and I'd train hard in the build-up, and then the days were long and intense. You can't switch off. I found it very mentally draining, especially the long Test series that I played, where my performances dropped off from the third or fourth Test onwards," he said.

Malan's commitment to winning and his self-reflection on his on-field decisions underscore his dedication to the game. 

"But, you know, on the field I always did what I felt was right to win a game for the team. I never walked off the field if I got runs not caring about whether we had won or lost. It was always about winning and I'd always question myself as to whether I'd made the right decisions on the field to do that," he concluded.

With his international career now concluded, Malan is expected to be a sought-after player in the T20 franchise circuit. His recent performances include a key role in helping Oval Invincibles secure victory in the Men's Hundred, following his success with Trent Rockets in 2022.

Additionally, he played a crucial part in Sunrisers Eastern Cape's triumph in the second season of the SA20 and was involved with Multan Sultans in the PSL.

Malan's record includes 22 Tests, 30 ODIs, and 62 T20Is, and he stands as one of only two England men's batters, alongside Jos Buttler, to have scored centuries in all three international formats.

Despite not featuring in an England squad since the 50-over World Cup in India last year, Malan's decision to retire came after his omission from the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.