Malan Bows Out After Illustrious Career Across Formats
Dawid Malan, once ranked as England’s No.1 T20I batter, has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 37. Malan, who played 22 Tests, 30 ODIs, and 62 T20Is, is one of only two England men’s players, alongside Jos Buttler, to have scored centuries in all three formats.
Despite his impressive career, Malan had not been part of an England squad since the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India. His retirement comes after being omitted from the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.
A Promising Start and Test Achievements
Malan made an immediate impact on his T20I debut against South Africa in 2017, scoring 78 from 44 balls. His Test breakthrough came later that year during the Ashes, where he scored a memorable 140 in Perth, forming a crucial partnership with Jonny Bairstow. Despite this success, Malan’s Test career remained inconsistent, with 10 of his 22 appearances coming in Australia, where his average of 33.00 ranks among England’s best of the past decade.
Dominance in T20I Cricket
It was in T20Is that Malan truly made his mark, particularly after England’s 2019 ODI World Cup win. His prolific run-scoring included a 48-ball century against New Zealand in Napier. In September 2020, Malan became the top-ranked T20I batter, and by March 2021, he was the fastest player to reach 1,000 T20I runs, achieving the milestone in just 24 innings.
Malan was part of England’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2022, though he missed the knockout stages due to injury.
Late Bloom in ODI Format
Although Malan was slower to establish himself in ODIs, he made the most of his opportunities, scoring five hundreds in 15 innings between June 2022 and September 2023. This led to his inclusion in England’s 2023 World Cup squad, where he added another century against Bangladesh.
Reflecting on His Career
In an interview with ‘The Times’, Malan expressed pride in his white-ball achievements but acknowledged the disappointment of not having a more consistent Test career. Despite this, he emphasized his commitment to playing for the team and his focus on winning.
Malan is expected to continue his career in T20 franchise cricket, having recently contributed to victories with Oval Invincibles, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, and Multan Sultans.