Stuart Broad had the right idea.
The legendary England cricketer ended his playing days by hitting a six off his final ball with the bat and taking a wicket from his final delivery with the ball to win a match. Against Australia, his country’s most historic rivals, no less.
But he is the exception, not the rule. Thousands of professional sportsmen and women retire every year in circumstances far less celebrated and completely out of their control. But there are some controllables, right? Like bowing out at the top? Growing old gracefully? Or even just retaining your dignity?
There is another way — let’s call it the Cristiano Ronaldo way.
This way involves moving to a retirement league for a humungous payday and playing with and against vastly inferior opponents in a league where 14 of the 18 clubs have an average attendance of fewer than 9,000.
OK, fine, who is realistically going to turn down a reported £173million-a-year salary and king-like status? But there is still a way of behaving in a sophisticated, cultured manner while pocketing said cash.
All of which begs the question: Cristiano Ronaldo, what are you doing?
Ronaldo’s temper is getting the better of him in Saudi (Waleed Zein/Anadolu via Getty Images)
During Al Nassr’s Saudi Super Cup semi-final…
