Pooran Calls It Quits On International Career

-Brandon Harrison

One of the best T20 batsmen in the world, Nicholas Pooran, has decided to retire from international duty with the West Indies at the relatively tender age of 29. The Trinidadian left-hand batter cemented his place in the West Indies’ top order in both white-ball formats with his exemplary blend of power, finesse as well as experience. Having played 60 one-day internationals and over one hundred T20 internationals, the West Indies team is losing a superior talent, and finding his replacement will be quite challenging for Cricket West Indies (CWI). But what ‘forced’ Pooran to retire from his West Indian duties in the first place? And how can such an occurrence be prevented in the future?

There has been nothing concrete from Pooran or his camp explaining the decision to retire at this moment in time; however, there are some logical reasons as to why Pooran may have made this decision.

The most glaring reason for Pooran’s departure is his franchise league commitments. As mentioned prior, he is globally acknowledged as one of the best T20 players in the world, and with that, the best teams are willing to offer some of the biggest contracts to secure his services. His official withdrawal from the ongoing tour of the United Kingdom was due to rest, as he played a major role in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Lucknow Super Giants. In addition to the IPL, Pooran is scheduled to play in the upcoming Major League Cricket tournament in the United States of America and The Hundred in England, thus adding some validity to his rest requirements. Pooran played quite consistently for the West Indies during the last two calendar years, inclusive of the World Cup, but his abrupt departure somewhat suggests that he favors playing in the domestic leagues rather than playing for the West Indies at this stage in his career. Furthermore, with a hectic schedule on the horizon given his franchise commitments, Pooran may have opted to hang up his hat now, before he is ‘forced’ to withdraw from many more West Indian white ball tours in the future. This is not a foreign concept for West Indians to grasp, as quite a few of their stars have prioritised league cricket over the years, but with a World Cup on the horizon Pooran’s departure has certainly left many perplexed.

So what else could have caused Pooran’s unexpected departure ? Though it is purely speculation, many will be led to believe that something transpired behind the scenes between Pooran and Cricket West Indies which has resulted in such a decision being made. Is it a case where Pooran was being put under pressure to make himself available for bilateral series instead of franchise cricket in the future? Was Pooran looking to reestablish himself as the West Indies T20 international captain after stepping down in 2022 ? Is there some unresolved tension within the West Indies camp which chased Pooran away? These are some of the questions that onlookers,including fans and journalists might have as it pertains to Pooran’s retirement especially because of its timing.With the 2026 World Cup being approximately 8 months away, surely something beyond the franchise cricket appeal has triggered his move, especially when no franchise cricket would be scheduled in around that World Cup period, as teams prepare for the tournament. At this stage. Darren Sammy and his team would be focusing on the current series at hand and how they will prepare for the daunting task of navigating life post-Pooran.

This situation with Nicholas Pooran has served as a true eye-opener for Cricket West Indies and other international cricket governing bodies across the globe. Here, we have one of, if not the best player in his position, choosing to retire well within his prime years for what we assume to be financially motivated reasons. Outside of the big three - England, Australia and India, many countries struggle to satisfy their players financially in comparison to the worldwide domestic leagues. Given how unpredictable and short-lived one’s career can be, many players are determined to make as much money as possible whilst at the highest level. As a result, players may see the need to sacrifice their international duties in favour of the domestic league rewards. This is often perceived as greedy and selfish, but as described earlier, given the uncertainty that may come with a sporting career, players are surely well within their rights to secure the financial futures of their families and themselves. Consequently, players may continue with this trend of prioritising franchise cricket over international competition; thus, there is a real fear that international cricket in its entirety shall lose its appeal. We are witnessing Test Cricket suffer at the hands of a diminished appeal and, by extension, financial obstacles, and with more players opting out of representing their countries, there is a real concern that something similar can happen to the shorter formats of the game. In terms of preventing similar situations from unfolding in the future, the international cricket bodies have a choice to make. Do they put their foot down and demand that players play for their country before their franchise, as we have seen with South African coach Shukri Conrad, or do they try to create some sort of balance, where players can incorporate both options into their schedules? These options do carry their respective risks, as we have seen with South African Heinrich Klaasen, who struggled with contract negotiations centred around South Africa’s hardline stance on players missing national duty for the global T20 leagues, ultimately leading to his retirement from international cricket. Moreover, the opposite approach, which we have seen the likes of the West Indies adopt, by letting players complete their franchise obligations before joining the international arena, has often left international teams depleted for prolonged periods, and it runs the risk of players being fatigued when it’s time for them to play internationally. Regardless of the approach taken by the respective boards, the need for a solution sooner rather than later is imperative. As franchise cricket grows each year, an environment where it can co-exist with international cricket is important so that players, coaches and fans can all be satisfied.

All things considered, many would be disappointed with Pooran’s decision in the short term, especially with the upcoming T20 World Cup in mind. His ability to entertain with the bat, in the field or behind the stumps captivated thousands of fans in the Caribbean during his career. The confidence he injected into his team, his ability to lead from the front with his talents and the fear he instilled into the opposition will be truly missed. Many are hopeful that his decision can be reversed at some point in the near future so that Pooran can continue to cement his legacy as a true West Indian T20 great, but until then all West Indian fans are grateful for the wonderful moments Pooran has provided, and will continue to rally around him as he performs domestically.