New Delhi, March 15: Former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed announced his retirement from international cricket on Sunday, marking the end of a nearly two-decade-long career.
Sarfaraz made his international debut in November 2007 and last played for Pakistan in November 2021. The 37-year-old has represented Pakistan in 54 Tests, 117 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 61 T20 matches, accumulating a total of 6,164 runs, which includes six centuries and 35 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, he took 315 catches and made 56 stumpings. Notably, Sarfaraz led Pakistan to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, becoming the only captain to win ICC titles at both junior and senior levels.
In his retirement announcement, Sarfaraz expressed, “Representing Pakistan has been the greatest honor of my life. From winning the Under-19 World Cup in 2006 to lifting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, every moment spent in the Pakistan jersey has been incredibly special. I am grateful to my teammates, coaches, family, and fans for their unwavering support throughout my career. Captaining Pakistan in all formats was like a dream come true. I always aimed to play fearless cricket and build a united team.”
Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in a total of 100 international matches, including 37 T20Is and 50 ODIs, as well as leading the team in 13 Test matches. Under his leadership, the team reached the top of the T20 rankings and set a world record by winning 11 consecutive T20 series, which included six clean sweeps against teams like West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland.
One of his most memorable moments as captain came at The Oval in London, where Pakistan defeated India by 180 runs in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy. He also led the team to victory in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2006. In recognition of the Champions Trophy win, Sarfaraz was awarded the ‘Pride of Performance’ award in 2018, becoming the youngest captain from Pakistan to receive this honor.
On a personal note, Sarfaraz holds the record for the most catches (10) by a Pakistani in a single Test match, achieved in Johannesburg against South Africa in 2019. He is also the only Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman to score an ODI century at Lord’s.
His tenure as captain has proven to be a nurturing ground for the next generation of Pakistani cricket, with players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, and Shadab Khan receiving his full support at the start of their international careers.
Sarfaraz concluded, “Seeing Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, and other players become match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements. I would like to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board for their trust in me over the years. Pakistani cricket has always been very close to my heart, and I will continue to support the game in every possible way.”