Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed announced his retirement from international cricket on Sunday, bringing to an end a career spanning nearly two decades during which he led his country in 100 international matches across multiple formats.
“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. Captaining Pakistan across all formats was a dream come true. I always tried to play fearless cricket and build a united team,” Sarfaraz said in a statement.
“Seeing players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali 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.
Sarfaraz has played 54 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 61 T20Is for Pakistan, scoring 6,164 runs across all three formats, which includes six centuries and 35 fifties. The wicket-keeper batter made his international debut in 2007 and his final international appearance came against Australia in the Perth Test in 2023.
“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,” Sarfaraz’s statement further read.
Sarfaraz led Pakistan to the famous 2017 ICC Champions Trophy win, where the Men in Green had beaten arch-rivals India in the summit clash for their first major trophy since the T20 World Cup 2009 triumph.
Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 50 ODIs, 37 T20Is, 13 Tests and led the side to the No.1 ranking in T20I cricket. During his captaincy, Pakistan achieved a world-record streak of 11 consecutive T20I series victories and recorded six clean sweeps, which include against West Indies (2016 and 2018), Sri Lanka (2017), Australia (2018), New Zealand (2018) and Scotland (2018).
The PCB has included Sarfaraz in the revamped four-member men’s selection committee after the disappointing 2026 T20 World Cup where the team failed to reach the semifinals, getting knocked out in the Group 8 stages.
(With wire inputs)
