The T20 leagues are lucrative and enable a reasonably large number of players to earn a decent living playing the game they love and are good at. But it all comes at a cost, a cost that the less wealthy cricketing nations like the West Indies have been paying.

The latest installment of that payment has come in the form of the retirement from international cricket of Nicholas Pooran. The left-hander issued a statement telling of his gratitude for having represented the people of the Caribbean: “After much thought and reflection, I’ve decided to announce my retirement from international cricket,” Pooran wrote.

“This game we love has given and will continue to give me so much joy, purpose and unforgettable memories and a chance to represent the people of the West Indies. Wearing that maroon, standing for the anthem and giving everything I had each time I stepped on the field...it’s hard to put into words what that truly means to me.”

The Trinidadian is 30 and was the West Indies’ best T20 batter, one of the best in the world. He hasn’t been at his best recently but in last season’s IPL he slammed 524 runs at an average of 43.66 and an almost unbelievable strike rate of 196.25. He is the most prolific six-hitter in the game and has hit the most in the game since 2024. 

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@spider

I remember what 10/15 years ago when Chris Gayle arrived late to England for the test series and he was the captain at the time I believe. He came in the day before the test match because he wanted to finish his T20 game in South Africa. Asked about it he said he wouldn’t be too sad if test Cricket died out.

@CricSham

there is a story behind that...and actually it goes back to why the best players IN the West Indies do not want to play FOR the west indies. 3-4 weeks before that series, chris gayle, as captain of the WI led the team to the first wisden trophy win in eleven years vs the english. The west indies cricket board made a return series after that series in england, less than two months after we won it. This series was not on the Future Tours Program and Sri lanka had been carded to visit england for a three match test series that year. The sri lankans told the ECB that most of their players would be in the IPL during this period and we can't send a proper team because 5-6 of the starting xi were expected to secure ipl deals. The english said ok, we'll find somebody else. our board decided to step in. I am not sure the players knew about the negotiations and the choice of the WICB to act as replacements. I know for sure that they did not know the wisden trophy would be up for grabs. In fact tony cozier interviewing julian hunte, then WICB president said that a wisden trophy contest was not discussed. Donald Peters told Cozier that the trophy would be up for grabs and a few days later tendered in his resignation. Hunte was adamant the wisden trophy issue was not discussed. the biggest problem with the West indies is that when you have people who do not understand the scope of a professional sporting environment, in places they have no right being, not because of geography but because of competence, you have incidents like this.