Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed retires from international cricket

Pakistan’s Champions Trophy-winning captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Sarfaraz, who made his international debut at the highest level in an ODI against India in 2007, last played for the national side in 2023. He was part of Pakistan’s red-ball squad to Australia, where he could not make much impact.

“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," Sarfaraz said in a statement confirming his retirement.

International career

In all, he played for Pakistan 54 Test matches, 117 ODIs and 61 T20Is, amassing a total of 6,164 runs, which included six centuries and 35 half-centuries. He captained the side in 100 international matches, out of which 61 came consecutively, which is the most by any Pakistan player barring Babar Azam.

Sarfaraz’s career was brought to a halt shortly after the 2019 ODI World Cup, where, too, he captained the side. He played only eighteen games after the World Cup. For a brief period, his career got a boost in red-ball cricket when he was included in Pakistan’s Test series against New Zealand. 

His century in the second innings of the second Test in Karachi helped Pakistan draw the game. Following that series, he remained with the side against Sri Lanka and Australia as well, but low returns in those series eventually saw him out. 

Champions Trophy and U19 World Cup

Besides winning the Champions Trophy in 2017, Sarfaraz, who is 38 now, also lifted the U19 ODI World Cup in 2006 as the captain. Under his captaincy, Pakistan maintained an 11 consecutive T20I series victory streak, which included six clean sweeps.

“Captaining Pakistan across all formats was a dream come true. I always tried to play fearless cricket and build a united team. Seeing players like Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and others grow into match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements."

“I would like to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board for the trust they placed in me over the years. Pakistan cricket has always been very close to my heart and I will continue to support the game in every possible way,” he concluded.

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