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Farewell games are often among the most arduous ones for a sportsperson, thanks to the spotlight being on them throughout. The final outing is often filled with several emotions, making it harder to focus on the game. But in some cases, it could also provide the additional spring in the step to produce a memorable performance and make it a fitting finale.
The 2023 World Cup was a farewell for left-arm pacer David Willey, who has announced his retirement from international cricket. It was a fairytale ending for him as England defeated Pakistan by 93 runs, with Willey being named the Player of the Match.
Finishing an ODI career by putting in a Player of the Match performance is the stuff of dreams, which only a few cricketers have enjoyed. Here, we look at three cricketers who have signed off their ODI careers with the Player of the Match award.
#1 David Willey
England pacer David Willey finished his ODI and international career spectacularly with both bat and ball. The 33-year-old came in during the end overs and smashed a quick-fire 15 off five balls to propel England to 337/9 in 50 overs.
The left-arm pacer then got the new ball talking, dismissing the Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman in his first 10 deliveries. Willey also got rid of Pakistan's lone half-centurion, Agha Salman, to finish with figures of 3/56 in 10 overs.
The all-rounder was an integral part of the England side that reached the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup. He scalped 10 wickets in six games, including 3/20 in the summit clash. Willey was also part of the English squad that emerged triumphant in last year's T20 World Cup in Australia.
His final ODI wicket was also his 100th in the format. In 73 games, he had an average of 29.75 and one five-wicket haul. Willey also boasts an impressive 24.55 batting average in ODIs, with two half-centuries.
#2 Irfan Pathan
There is something about left-arm pace-bowling all-rounders and memorable ODI finales. Like David Willey, India's Irfan Pathan also enjoyed a fairytale ending, putting in a Player of the Match performance in the final ODI of his career.
It was the final game of the five-match ODI series in Sri Lanka in 2012, with India winning the toss and electing to bat first. Following half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir, Manoj Tiwary and MS Dhoni, Pathan provided the finishing kick with a 28-ball 29 to help India reach 294/7 in 50 overs.
The Gujarat-born cricketer followed his batting contribution with the wickets of openers Upul Tharanga and Tilakaratne Dilshan. Pathan then delivered the knockout punch with three wickets in his final spell to finish with 5/61 and lead India to a 20-run victory.
Having started his career as a prodigious swing bowler, Irfan Pathan became a genuine all-rounder in the mid-2000s. The now-39-year-old cricketer was also the Player of the Match in the final of India's only T20 World Cup triumph, back in 2007.
In early 2006, Pathan became the only bowler to take a hat-trick in the first over of a Test match, achieving the feat against Pakistan in Karachi.
He finished with 173 ODI wickets with five four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls. In addition, Pathan also scored over 1,500 ODI runs in his ODI career, with five half-centuries.
#3 Desmond Haynes
One of the best opening batters of all time, Desmond Haynes, signed off his ODI career with a Player of the Match performance.
The West Indian also scored a century on his ODI debut. He is one of only two cricketers, the other being Denis Amiss, to achieve the century landmark on his 50-over debut as well as finale.
Haynes' final career ODI was the penultimate game of the five-match ODI series between the West Indies and England. The right-hander scored a masterful 115 off 112 balls to help the hosts reach a competitive 265/7 in a rain-interrupted 45.4 overs.
Chasing a revised target of 209 in 36 overs, England mustered a mere 193/9 to suffer defeat by 15 runs (adjusted by D/L method).
With over 8,500 ODI runs, including 35 overall centuries, Haynes was arguably the most accomplished opening batter in the world during the 1980s.
