Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from international cricket, ending a career that lasted nearly two decades. The wicketkeeper-batter led Pakistan to the historic 2017 ICC Champions Trophy victory.
Sarfaraz Ahmed announces retirement from international cricket
Lahore: Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed on Sunday announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect, bringing the curtain down on a career that spanned almost two decades with the Pakistan national cricket team.
The wicketkeeper-batter is widely remembered for leading Pakistan to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, where the team defeated arch-rivals India national cricket team in the final.
Sarfaraz made his international debut in a One Day International against India in Jaipur in November 2007. Over the course of his career, he represented Pakistan in 54 Tests, 117 ODIs and 61 T20 Internationals.
He scored a total of 6,164 runs in international cricket, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries. As a wicketkeeper, Sarfaraz also played a key role behind the stumps, finishing his career with 315 catches and 56 stumpings.
During his career, Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches, including 50 ODIs, 37 T20Is and 13 Tests.
Under his leadership, Pakistan climbed to the top position in the ICC T20I rankings and also recorded a remarkable run of 11 consecutive T20I series victories. His captaincy during the Champions Trophy triumph remains one of the most celebrated moments in Pakistan cricket.
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In recognition of his contributions to the sport, Sarfaraz was awarded Pakistan’s prestigious Pride of Performance in 2018.
Announcing his retirement, Sarfaraz said representing Pakistan was the greatest honour of his life. He thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board for giving him the opportunity to captain the national side.
He also expressed pride in seeing players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali develop into key performers during his tenure as captain. Sarfaraz added that Pakistan cricket will always remain close to his heart and that he will continue supporting the game in the future.
