10 cricketers who might be playing their last ICC World T20

The 2016 ICC World T20 is just a few days away and the excitement has already reached a crescendo. While the tournament will some new players, it will also feature plenty of familiar faces as well. Unfortunately for the fans, not all of them might be returning for the next World T20 in 2020.Also read: India vs New Zealand, ICC T20 World Cup 2016: LIVE streaming, team news, squad, date, match time, tickets onlineFor some players, this might well be their last ICC World T20, if not their final ICC tournament itself. Most of the names on the list are players who are unlikely to part in the next tournament in Australia, due to their age.Also read: ICC T20 World Cup 2016: India vs New Zealand Match Predictions, Pitch Report, Match NewsSo here are 10 cricketers who might be playing their last ICC World T20

#10 Tillakaratne Dilshan

Will the 2016 World T20 be Dilshan's final major ICC tournament?

Arguably the first name on this list is the player who is almost 40 going into the 2016 World T20. Given his place in the side is already being questioned and his form coupled with his big-hitting ability has been on the wane for a while now, it is unsurprising that Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan features in the list of 10 players who might be playing in their final ICC World T20.

Then again, as the country’s leading scorer in the format and the second-leading run-getter in the history of T20Is, Dilshan probably deserves better appreciation from his own fans for everything that he has achieved. But if Sri Lanka continues their recent poor form, it looks unlikely that he will get that in the upcoming World T20.

#9 Shane Watson

For how much longer can Watson’s body hang on?

There has never been any doubt about Shane Watson’s talent but what was always in question was his fitness. For his career has been littered with back stress fractures, hamstring strains and several other complaints that it is a surprise that he has managed to survive for so long.

But you can only delay the inevitable for so long. Even though he is just 34 and the prospect of calling time at a home World T20 might sound enticing, the chances of the Australian all-rounder achieving that appear very slim indeed.

Although he has just made a comeback to the T20I side and will be looking for a good World T20 to cement his position in a side that is currently in flux, to expect his already fragile body to hold on for four years seems a little too much to ask.

#8 Mashrafe Mortaza

Will Bangladesh lose their inspirational skipper for the next major tournament?

When you come with words like "One thing is for sure, I will not be playing for a long time," ahead of arguably the biggest game in the history of your country’s cricketing history, you know you are giving your fans a warning that not all good things are meant to last forever.

As captain of Bangladesh, Mashrafe Mortaza has overseen a meteoric rise but it looks as though he might continue to reap the rewards of this dynamic and balanced Bangladesh team for too much longer. While 32 is no age to retire, it looks as thought the all-rounder wants to decide when he calls time and as per his own words, that time might be next year. So you can certainly rule an appearance in Australia in four years time.

#7 Lasith Malinga

For how much longer can Malinga continue to carry the hopes of his country?

When you consider that he primarily just plays one format, one he is incredibly successful in, it is hard to imagine Lasith Malinga calling time on his career anytime soon. But the sad truth is that, even at 32, injuries have started to play a major role in Malinga’s time as a cricketer.

So it wouldn’t be at all surprising if his international cricketing career is cut short by injuries. While much of his country’s hope in this World T20 rests on his shoulders, it is fair to say that he cannot continue to carry that burden for too much longer. At least not until the 2020 World T20.

#6 Yuvraj Singh

How much longer will Yuvraj entertain Indian supporters?

Speaking about the retirement of a player who just came back a couple of months ago may not seem right, but given Yuvraj Singh only plays one format and he is coming towards the end of his career, it is fair to say the question of retirement isn’t entirely unjustified.

Then again, when that might arrive is a question that only Yuvraj can answer. But the simple truth is that, at 34, Yuvraj doesn’t have a lot of time in international cricket and it would be a huge surprise if the southpaw sticks around until the 2020 World T20 in Australia. While the day of his retirement isn’t one Indian fans will want to think about, it is something that is inevitable, sooner rather than later.

#5 Dale Steyn

Will Steyn’s body continue to falter?

If there is one thing that is to be said about Dale Steyn, it is that he is not your run-of-the-mill fast bowler. While it is true most bowlers retire in their early 30s and generally don’t play well into their mid to late 30s, he is certainly someone who can buck the trend. While his recent injury record does not bode well for his long stay in international cricket, his general overall fitness and his desire to play is something that will keep him in play for a while yet.

But whether that will be enough to keep the 32-year-old in action in the shortest format of the game is questionable, especially until 2020. Not only because it might rob youngsters of an opportunity, which he isn’t a fan of, but also because of how difficult the format is, in his admission.

#4 Shahid Afridi

How much longer and Afridi block out the noise?

Given the recent statements and the controversy surrounding them, now might not be the best time to talk about Shahid Afridi, the Pakistani cricketer, whose stubborn refusal to call time on cricket is astonishing as it is astounding. Still, the fact that he is 36 and has been playing international cricket for two decades is sure to have taken some toll on his body even if his mind is still fresh and he wants to play.

Given the number of times he has retired and then come back to cricket, we should never rule anything out. But one thing we can say for sure is that it is highly unlikely that he is a certainty in the Pakistan squad for the next tournament, let alone the next World T20 in four years time when he will be 40.

#3 MS Dhoni

How much longer can Dhoni evade questions surrounding his retirement?

Despite the Indian team coming out and saying that MS Dhoni would be the captain until the end of the World T20, every time the skipper has walked into a press conference, questions about his retirement have been an ongoing theme. Especially with the return of his big-hitting ability, which seemed gone in the ODI series against South Africa last year, those timing of those questions are curious.

Yet the truth is that he cannot go on forever, much as everyone would want him to. And having already won everything there is to win in international cricket, if he becomes the first captain to lift the World T20 twice, there is little reason for him to stay on in the team unless replacements aren’t readily available.

All of this and the fact that he turns 35 in a few months almost certainly indicate that he might not be around for the 2020 World T20 in Australia.

#2 AB de Villiers

Will AB stick around till 2020?

He might only be 32 but the main reason why AB de Villiers makes it onto this list is because of what he has said over the past year or so. Having been consistently picked for his country across all formats for more than a decade now, AB must surely be feeling the rigors of international cricket.

While his mind may want him to continue, there is a very good chance that AB decides to retire from T20Is in a year or two, well in advance of the next World T20. His decision to take part in the upcoming Carribean Premier League, something he has never played in before only highlights that he might be looking at playing more domestic T20 cricket before eventually calling it a day in a few years time.

#1 Chris Gayle

Will India be the last time we see Gayle’s six-hitting powers in an ICC World T20?

Few will argue that Chris Gayle isn't the greatest T20 batsman and that some, if not most of his records are unlikely to be broken anytime soon. But it is also true that Gayle is 36 and even if he doesn’t play any format of the game apart from T20 it is hard to expect him to play in the next ICC World T20 when will be 40, closing on 41.

Even if his mind wants to play, his body might be unwilling to follow through and modern cricketers seldom play into their forties, in any case, so it should be no surprise to see the West Indian opener being any different.