At just 29, Trinidadian wicketkeeper‑batsman Pooran has been a linchpin in West Indies white-ball cricket since his debut in 2016. He played 106 T20Is, 61 ODIs, captained the side, and amassed 2,275 T20I runs with a strike rate above 136—marking him as the Caribbean’s most prolific in that format.
His last international appearances were the December 2024 T20 series against Bangladesh and the July 2023 ODI versus Sri Lanka.
Wake‑Up Call: The article emphasizes this trend shouldn’t be viewed in isolation; it’s potentially the beginning of a wave of high-profile retirements driven by franchise cricket’s growth—and cricket boards globally need to address the root causes to preserve international formats.
Nicholas Pooran’s early retirement at 29 is a clear indicator that international cricket is at a crossroads—with the booming franchise economy pulling elite talent away. His departure, echoing recent exits by other stars, urges cricket boards worldwide to rethink how they incentivize national representation beyond clouded ideals of pride.
