5 great cricketers whose ODI careers came to an abrupt end

It is always difficult for selectors to phase out experienced players from an ODI team and groom youngsters.

Some cricketers who are legends in the longer format of the game do not enjoy the same success in the shorter formats. They are either shown the door due to their underwhelming performances or to groom young players and build a team for the future

Here is a look at five such cricketers whose ODI careers came to an abrupt end.

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5 cricketers whose ODI careers came to an abrupt end:

#1. James Anderson:

James Anderson is the leading wicket-taker for England in Tests as well as ODI cricket.

James Anderson is the most successful fast bowler to have played Test cricket. However, Anderson was shown the door in ODI cricket post England's dismal run at the 2015 World Cup.

The 37-year-old Anderson, who has 584 Test wickets to his credit, is still going strong in Test cricket.

Like most of his teammates, James Anderson did not have the best of times at the 2015 World Cup. The right-arm fast bowler picked up only five wickets in the tournament at an average of 49.

Anderson has not been a part of England's ODI team since then as the team management was on the look-out for young bowlers who could take English cricket forward.

Overall, Anderson has picked up 269 wickets at an average of 29.22 in ODI cricket and remains England's leading wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs.

The sacking of Anderson from the ODI team was indeed shocking considering that he was only 33 years of age in 2015 and could have played a few more ODI games for England.

Anderson, who is 37 now, is unlikely to play ODI cricket for England again.

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#2. Stuart Broad:

Stuart Broad has not played an ODI for England in the last 4 years

Stuart Broad has not played ODI cricket for England for more than four years. Considering the success of the young English bowlers in ODI cricket last year, particularly at the 2019 World Cup, it is very likely that Broad may never play an ODI for England again.

The veteran of 178 ODI wickets played a solitary ODI series after the 2015 World Cup. In the said series against South Africa, the lanky fast bowler picked up just one wicket in 16 overs. Thereafter Broad has been overlooked for selection in the ODI format.

England have revamped their new-ball attack in the shorter formats of the game, with seniors like Anderson and Broad being shown the doors in ODI cricket.

Broad continues to impress in Test cricket where he has picked up 485 Test wickets. He is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game.

At 33 years of age, Broad has a few years of cricket left in him and he could end up being the leading wicket-taker for England in Test cricket. His ouster from the ODI team at the age of 29 was, however, surprising as he was making rapid strides in Test cricket.

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#3. Alastair Cook:

Alastair Cook last played an ODI for England in 2014.

Alastair Cook is the leading run-scorer for England in Test cricket where he has scored 12,472 Test runs to his credit. He is considered as one of the finest openers the game of cricket has ever seen.

The left-handed opening batsman however, did not enjoy the same success in the ODI format. In 92 ODIs, Cook scored 3204 runs at an average of 36.40 with five centuries and 19 half-centuries to his credit.

Cook was almost certain to lead England at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. It was not to be, though, as he was sacked as the ODI captain two months before the quadrennial tournament due to his poor form with the bat. Averaging a paltry 19.83 in his last six ODIs, Cook was replaced by Eoin Morgan as England's ODI captain.

The left-hander has not played another ODI after being sacked as the captain as his ODI career came to a sudden end.

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#4. V V S Laxman:

VVS Laxman was a prolific Test player.

VVS Laxman was a delight to watch when in full flow. He was one of the main pillars for India in the middle-order in Test cricket during his career.

He scored 8781 runs at an average of 45.97 with 17 Test centuries to his credit. Laxman was the architect of many victories for India in Test cricket.

However, Laxman never got a consistent run for India in ODI cricket. In 83 ODI innings, he scored 2338 runs at an average of 30.76. He never represented India at a World Cup.

After playing a couple of ODIs for India in 2005, he was recalled to the Indian team in 2006 for an ODI series against South Africa. Laxman played a solitary ODI at Supersport Park before getting dismissed without scoring a run. He never played an ODI thereafter.

The Indian ODI team at that time was grooming youngsters like Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni and Robin Uthappa in the limited-overs format. As such Laxman was never considered for selection in the ODI format again.

The stylish Hyderabadi player played Test cricket for six more years before retiring from all forms of cricket in 2012.

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#5. Steve Waugh:

Steve Waugh led Australia to glory in the 1999 World Cup.

The former Australian skipper, Steve Waugh, also makes it to this list. The 2001-2002 VB series was the last ODI series that Waugh played for Australia.

Australia failed to make it to the finals of the said series. Steve Waugh was subsequently sacked as the skipper and also dropped from the ODI team. Waugh scored 187 runs in seven innings at an average of 31.17 in the said series.

However, considering the 2003 World Cup, Australia were looking out for a young skipper and Ricky Ponting succeeded Waugh as the team's ODI captain.

Waugh expressed displeasure at the sacking and stated that he would regain his place in the ODI team. However, he did not play a single ODI for Australia after the VB series and his ODI career was over.

The right-hander had the experience of being a part of two World Cup-winning teams i.e. 1987 as a player and 1999 as a skipper. However, he was shown the door in ODI cricket prior to the 2003 World Cup.

Waugh scored 7569 runs in 325 ODIs that included 3 centuries and 45 half centuries.