There has been a noticeable increase in T20 batters opting to retire out early for strategic reasons. This move occurs for several purposes, such as when a batter is struggling to score quickly enough, or to bring a faster-scoring player to the crease earlier. It also happens when a team believes they have a batter better suited to counter the opposing side’s bowlers.
Although this practice is permitted under the rules, it has sparked debate about the “spirit of cricket” and whether teams should be allowed to employ it. In the first three weeks of 2026, there were eight instances of batters retiring early for tactical reasons in men’s and women’s franchise leagues worldwide, including the Big Bash League, Super Smash, SA20, and Women’s Premier League. Among these eight cases, four saw batters retired out with a strike rate below 100, meaning they scored slower than one run per ball faced.
Former New Zealand international BJ Watling, who coaches Northern Brave in his home country, has frequented this tactic and even used it twice in one match against the Volts last month, which ended in a draw. “Clearly a tactic coming into the game, but one we are just learning about and trying to make decisions that are best for the team in the situations required,” Watling told The Post. “All our players have the ability to win games of cricket and sometimes in certain situations it might suit someone else’s skillset, and that’s what we weigh up as a team.”
England pace bowler Tymal Mills supports the tactic and believes it’s important to look past debates about the spirit of the game. “I think there’s certain situations when it’s just the smart thing to do,” Mills said to BBC Sport. “You have to try and remove some of the emotion out of it and just focus on what’s the best thing to do for the team in that situation. The smart thing to do when there’s only a few overs left is to try and give those guys a platform to propel you to a huge score. I guess you just have to be mindful that you make sure you get around the batter that you are retiring out, and making sure that they know that it’s nothing personal. Hopefully it’s something that becomes less of a stigma, and it’s just viewed as part of the tactics of a game.”
Somerset all-rounder Tom Abell is not against the tactic either, but notes that it doesn’t always guarantee success. “It’s a tactical decision and there’s no guarantees that it works out,” Abell told BBC Sport. “The set batter might get retired out and then the new player comes in and struggles or gets out or takes a few balls.” He added that it could also backfire against a team accustomed to the surface or the opposition bowlers. “There’s occasions when you need a bit of time to sort of ‘get yourself in’ before you start going. I think there’s certain situations that it can benefit teams and obviously work out. Then there’s other times where it probably hinders you. It’s just a tactical decision that I wouldn’t necessarily say affects the spirit of cricket because that’s just my opinion. It doesn’t always work out for the batting team.”
