Dawid Malan, the former top-ranked T20 batsman who achieved centuries for England across all formats, has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 36-year-old Malan shared his decision with British newspaper The Times of London, revealing that while he exceeded his own expectations in white-ball cricket, he found himself unable to cope with the demanding nature of test cricket.
Malan, a top-order batsman, participated in 22 test matches, 30 ODIs, and 62 T20 internationals for England. His most notable achievements came in the T20 format, where he ascended to the No. 1 spot in the batting rankings in 2020 and played a pivotal role in England’s World Cup victory that same year.
However, Malan’s journey in test cricket proved to be more challenging. Despite his commitment to the format, he faced a struggle to maintain consistency over the duration of longer series. This ultimately led to his exclusion from England’s squad for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia, marking the end of his international career.
Reflecting on his decision, Malan admitted that his inability to establish a successful career in test cricket was his greatest source of regret. He described the intense demands of the format, particularly the grueling five-day matches and the extended preparation periods, as a significant mental strain.
“I took all three formats extremely seriously but the intensity of test cricket was something else — five days plus the days building up,” Malan told The Times. “I’m a big trainer; I love hitting lots of balls and I’d train hard in the build-up, and then the days were long and intense. You can’t switch off. “I found it very mentally draining, especially the long test series that I played, where my performances dropped off from the third or fourth test onwards.”
Malan’s retirement marks the end of a successful career, punctuated by significant achievements in the limited-overs formats. While his time in test cricket may have been less fruitful, his contribution to English cricket remains undeniable.
