‘Always tried to play fearlessly’: Sarfraz retires from international cricket

LAHORE: Former Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed announced his retirement from international cricket on Sunday, bringing an end to a decorated two-decade-long career. In a statement issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board, Ahmed said he had “always tried to play fearless cricket and build a united team”. In a post on X, the PCB said Chairman Mohsin Naqvi presented a “special shield” to Sarfaraz on his international retirement, honouring his services to Pakistan cricket.

Ahmed captained Pakistan in 100 international matches across formats (50 One Day Internationals, 37 T20Is, 13 Tests) and led the side to the No.1 ranking in T20I cricket. His captaincy saw the green shirts achieve a world-record streak of 11 consecutive T20I series victories and recorded six clean sweeps against the West Indies (2016 and 2018), Sri Lanka (2017), Australia (2018), New Zealand (2018) and Scotland (2018). He also led his side to victory during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2006 and a historic win against arch-rivals India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. “It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent Pakistan. From leading the U19 team to a world title in 2006 to lifting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, every moment in Pakistan colours has been special. I am grateful to my teammates, coaches, family and the fans for their unwavering support throughout my career,” he was quoted as saying in the PCB statement. The former skipper’s leadership saw the emergence of several future stars, including Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf, and Imamul Haq. Seeing them “grow into match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements”, he said. His individual achievements include a 10-catch record in a Test match against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2019. He remains, to date, the only Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter to score an ODI century at Lord’s, which he scored against England in 2016. Sarfraz who played his first ODI in 2007 made his last international appearance in an international Test against Australia in Perth in 2023. Following the announcement of his retirement, former Pakistan captain Babar Azam said playing under his leadership had been a “privilege”. In an X post, he said, “Saifi Bhai, playing under your leadership was a privilege. Thank you for your guidance, belief, and the memories you gave to Pakistan cricket.” Azam also wished him “success and peace in this new chapter of life”.