Sarfaraz Ahmed announces retirement from international cricket
Sports
Sarfaraz said that representing Pakistan was the greatest honor of his life.
(Dunya News) - Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a distinguished career spanning around two decades.
Sarfaraz represented Pakistan in 54 Test matches, 117 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 61 T20 Internationals, scoring a total of 6,164 runs in his career. As a wicketkeeper, he took 315 catches and completed 56 stumpings.
He led Pakistan in 100 international matches and captained the team to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, one of the biggest achievements of his career. Under his leadership, Pakistan also reached the No. 1 ranking in T20 International cricket.
Sarfaraz remains the only Pakistani captain to win ICC titles at both junior and senior levels. In recognition of his contributions, the Government of Pakistan awarded him the Pride of Performance in 2018.
In his statement, Sarfaraz said that representing Pakistan was the greatest honor of his life. He described winning the 2006 Under-19 World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy as the most memorable moments of his career.
He expressed gratitude to his teammates, coaches, family members, and fans for their continuous support. Sarfaraz added that captaining Pakistan across all three formats was a dream come true and that he always aimed to play fearless cricket and build a united team.
He also said he was proud to see players such as Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shadab Khan emerging as match-winners.
Sarfaraz said that Pakistan cricket will always remain close to his heart and that he will continue to serve the sport in any way possible.
