Pooran opens up on international retirement

Nicholas Pooran’s decision to retire from international cricket at the age of 29 earlier this year sent shock waves through the cricketing world, particularly in the Caribbean. Widely regarded as one of the most destructive T20 batters of his generation, the former West Indies Captain has stepped away from international duty while still in his prime, choosing instead to focus on the next phase of his career.
Speaking candidly on the Beard Before the Wicket Podcast, alongside hosts Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Nubaid Haroon, Pooran addressed the criticism and speculation surrounding his decision, insisting it was a deeply- personal choice made with long-term clarity.

“I told him it’s just about time for me to move on and do what’s best for my career. I mentioned earlier and everybody thinks they know what’s best for your career. And I just feel like,
mean I think people have an issue with it because I’m quite young. But what’s young? If I wake up tomorrow and get injured and my career finishes. Yeah. Is that young?”
Pooran acknowledged the emotional response from fans and supporters, but stressed that he fully understands the consequences of his decision.
“I think through all my decisions I make, because I understand it have consequences. I understand that people are going to be angry and disappointed in any decision anybody makes. And this has nothing to do with West Indies cricket how it is, what it is ,what’s happening. This has nothing to do with
that. This is all about what Nicholas Pooran wants and this is something everyone has to come on board with as well.”
Much of the criticism directed at Pooran has centred on the belief that he has prioritised franchise cricket and financial gain over national duty. However, the Trinidadian left-hander rejected the idea that players should wait until the twilight of their careers before embracing global leagues.
“So what people want is that they want people to retire at 35 or 36 when they’re done; they’ve represented the country, committed 100 per cent, and then go and play leagues and make money, but when you reach that age now, your value goes down – right, your value goes down – so then you hear all these other cricketers going and playing leagues now when they’re finishing off their careers, but when you look at it and you look at the structure of teams that don’t want those personnel who are not going to offer a lot, right, the cricketing world has changed so much and stuff, and I’m sure people are criticising me now for, “Oh, he’s probably going to play for money,” but I’m actually in a primary career. I have a lot to offer, right? I’m going to score runs, I’m going to win new games, and I’m going to win new titles.”
Pooran’s comments reflect a broader shift in modern cricket, where players increasingly balance national pride with career longevity and opportunity in an evolving global game. While his absence will leave a significant void in West Indies cricket, Pooran remains firm in his belief that stepping away now is the right move – for him.