Retirements confirmed? Cricket All Stars 2017 to feature Kevin Pietersen, Shahid Afridi

Here’s some good news for cricket fans who love to indulge in nostalgia — your favourite retired cricketers are set to return in the second edition of the Cricket All-Stars. The T20 league started in 2015 saw three T20 matches between teams consisting of retired international cricket stars distributed in two teams: Sachin Tendulkar Blasters and Shane Warne Warriors, and were held across the United States of America. [caption id=“attachment_3111976” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne during the first Cricket All Stars. AFP[/caption] The series did not take place this year, but will be back in 2017, as Shane Warne announced on his official Facebook page. “The Cricket Superstars ​is excited to announce that it’s back again in 2017 & it’s a huge pleasure to announce these players who have signed up to play with more legends to announce soon,” read his post. While the list of players mentioned has largely the same line-up as last year, it does throw up a few interesting additions as well. Some new names include Brendon McCullum, Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson, all of whom have retired in the last year, as well as Adam Gilchrist, Darren Gough, Stephen Fleming, and Kevin Pietersen. Yes, Pietersen has been announced as one of the legends set to take part in the league, which is meant exclusively for retired players. Does this mean the England player’s official retirement is on the cards? Pietersen’s decision to call it quits won’t come as a surprise as the 36-year-old hasn’t played for England since 2014 and is seen more behind the microphone than in front of the stumps in the last few years. KP’s exit from England was both controversial and acrimonious. He was dropped after the 2013-14 Ashes loss, despite being the leading run-scorer for England. His relationship with the team management was said to have broken down beyond repair, and he was eventually not selected for England’s next tour following a unanimous decision by the ECB. Meanwhile, another player whose inclusion in Warne’s list has raised eyebrows is Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi. While Afridi has flirted with retirement more often than any other player in cricket, he is still considered an active player, having played his last international match in the 2016 ICC World T20. While this may be that one final nail that confirms the end of his international career, with Afridi one can never be sure. Check out the full list of players here: