New Delhi, March 15: Former Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed announced his retirement from international cricket on Sunday, marking the end of a remarkable career spanning nearly two decades.
Sarfaraz began his international career in November 2007 and last played for Pakistan in November 2021. The 37-year-old has participated in 54 Tests, 117 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 61 T20 matches, accumulating a total of 6,164 runs, which includes six centuries and 35 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, he took 315 catches and made 56 stumpings. Sarfaraz led Pakistan to victory in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, becoming the only captain to win ICC titles at both junior and senior levels.
In his retirement announcement, Sarfaraz expressed, “Representing Pakistan has been the greatest honor of my life. From winning the Under-19 World Cup in 2006 to lifting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, every moment spent in the Pakistan jersey has been incredibly special for me. I am grateful to my teammates, coaches, family, and fans for their unwavering support throughout my career. Captaining Pakistan in all formats was like a dream come true. I have always aimed to play fearless cricket and build a united team.”
Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in a total of 100 international matches across all formats. He played 37 T20 internationals as captain and led the team in 50 ODIs, along with 13 Test matches. Under his leadership, the team reached the top of the T20 rankings and set a world record by winning 11 consecutive T20 series, which included six clean sweeps against teams like West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland.
His most memorable moment as captain came at The Oval in London when Pakistan defeated India by 180 runs in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy. Earlier, he also led the team to victory in the ICC Under-19 World Cup held in Sri Lanka in 2006. In recognition of the Champions Trophy win, Sarfaraz was awarded the ‘Pride of Performance’ award in 2018, becoming the youngest captain from Pakistan to receive this honor.
Among his personal records, Sarfaraz holds the Pakistani record for the most catches taken in a single Test match, achieving 10 catches against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2019. He is also the only Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman to score an ODI century at Lord’s.
His captaincy era has proven to be an excellent nursery for the next generation of Pakistani cricket. Players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, and Shadab Khan received significant support from Sarfaraz at the start of their international careers.
Sarfaraz added, “Seeing Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, and other players become match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements. I would like to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board for trusting me for so many years. Pakistani cricket has always been very close to my heart, and I will continue to support the game in every possible way.”
My name is Himanshu Tiwari. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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