Do players decline with age?

[mackemforever]

I'm just wondering because 2 seasons ago I signed the once pretty damn good Jacques Rudolph, after he had a great season. This is how he has done for the last 3 years.

The year before I signed him


The year I signed him


This year


Has got worse every season, despite the rest of my team batting really well. I've made sure that he isn't going out all guns blazing to start, doesn't go too hard against pace (he prefers spin), and yet he just hasn't done anything useful at all this season. His high score of 77 came after a run of 7 first class innings where he didn't make double figures. The game after I took this screenshot he made 173 from 190 balls after having only reached double figures once in the last 10 innings across all formats.

Does it sound like I'm doing anything wrong or is he simply not up to the required standard any more?


Also, has anybody had a more frustrating season than this before?



We came 2nd last year and then 7 of my 1st XI retired so I've been making do with what I could pick up at the start of the season and some youngsters that came into my side in the last couple of years.

All 3 of the losses have come in the last 5 over of the 4th day. 2 of the draws have come with us needing 1 more wicket to win and the other draw came with us only needing 3 more runs to win!

*EDIT* Also, we've currently got 7 wins from 7 games in one day cricket and went 8 wins, 8 losses in T20, our best performance ever.

[Scritty]

Yes.

And it is variable how quickly they decline as well.

Some drop off dramatically in just one or two seasons. Others are still worth a place in the side into their early 40's

Scritty

[mackemforever]

Yes.

And it is variable how quickly they decline as well.

Some drop off dramatically in just one or two seasons. Others are still worth a place in the side into their early 40's

Scritty

Thanks, looks like he has passed his peak already then. I ended up releasing him at the end of the season. He played 5 more innings after his 170+ score, his highest score in any of them was 3!

On a different note, Gareth Rees seems to have suddenly hit his peak when he turned 30. Was hovering around the 1000 runs per season mark for the last 3 seasons but this is how he has started this season:



The 0 was because he got injured by the second ball he faced!

[ab5ides1]

What I find is that my players generally have their peak somewhere in the region of 28-33 years old, so it looks about right for Rees. Bit surprised at the poorness of Rudolph. He averaged 40 for me in his last season aged 38. Though as Scritty pointed out, variable change I guess.