FORMER Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from cricket at the age of 38. The wicketkeeper-batter confirmed the decision on Sunday.
Sarfaraz led Pakistan to their first Champions Trophy title in 2017. Pakistan beat India by 180 runs in the final at the Oval.
The Karachi-born cricketer played 54 Tests, 117 one-day internationals and 61 Twenty20 internationals across nearly two decades. He scored more than 6,000 runs across formats and recorded 315 catches and 56 stumpings.
Sarfaraz also led Pakistan’s Under-19 team to the World Cup title in 2006.
"It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent Pakistan. From leading the U-19 team to a world title in 2006 to lifting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, every moment in Pakistan colours has been special," Sarfaraz said in a statement.
"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, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and others grow into match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements."
Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches across all three formats. During his tenure, Pakistan also reached the number one position in the T20 rankings.
His last match for Pakistan was a Test against Australia in Perth in December 2023.
