Pakistan Pacer Ihsanullah Takes Back PSL Retirement Decision Hours After Announcement

The 22-year-old Pakistani fast bowler Ihsanullah suddenly announced his retirement from the Pakistan Super League (PSL), but then, hours later he admitted that he said his retirement suddenly because of strong emotions and apologized for the mix-up.

In an interview with Public News, Ihsanullah discussed how he was unhappy about not getting picked during the January 13 PSL draft. Because he wasn't included in the Season 10 draft, that's when Ihsanullah thought it was time to stop playing in Pakistan's top T20 league. He said he didn't simply decide on the spot to retire. 

Ihsanullah admitted that his decision to quit was made out of frustration, as reported by ARY News. He revealed that his family and friends influenced his thoughts, which only added to his confusion. Before all this, he had vowed to silence his critics by bowling at lightning-fast speeds of 150-160 km/h.

“There’s no plan for retirement, I announced the decision yesterday in emotions”- he said. “When I wasn’t picked in the PSL draft, my friends & family also messed with my head and I announced retirement in the heat of the moment”- he added.

During PSL 8, everybody started noticing Ihsanullah due to his amazing performance for Multan Sultans. He was excellent with his bowling by getting 22 wickets and maintaining an economy rate of 7.59, which made him a debut on Pakistan's T20I team. Then, he was able to play his first game on the international stage against Afghanistan in March 2023. He also had the chance to play in his first ODI game against New Zealand.

Ihsanullah career stats in PSL

Ali Tareen on Ihsanullah’s Career Setback

Ihsanullah’s career was on the rise until he suffered a serious elbow injury. In the rehabilitation center, he was managed poorly, which caused some debates about his recovery.

“It is a very sad development, but we got Ihsanullah consulted with a top surgeon, who gave us some really bad news, saying that ‘guys, I can do the surgery, but no matter what I do, there is so much scarring from his previously botched surgery that his arm will never become perfectly straight, and he will never be able to bowl in the same way because he does not have a straight arm,” Tareen said.

During the Champions T20 Cup, Ihsanullah finally made his comeback to competitive cricket after spending months. In that, he managed to take only 2 wickets in four games but it was very important for him to get his form back on track.

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