LAHORE (Kashmir English): Former Pakistan cricket team captain, veteran wicketkeeper-batsman and the only captain to win two world titles for the country, Sarfaraz Ahmed, has announced his retirement from international cricket after a long and illustrious career, describing representing the national team as the greatest honor of his life.
End of an era: Sarfaraz Ahmed’s international journey
Sarfaz Ahmed has rendered invaluable services to Pakistan in all three formats of cricket. He represented Pakistan in a total of 54 Tests, 117 One-Day Internationals, and 61 Twenty20 Internationals. During his long career, he showed his brilliance with the bat, scoring a total of 6,164 runs. His performance behind the wickets was also unparalleled, where he took 315 catches and stumped 56 players.
Historical achievements and world honours as captain
Sarfaz Ahmed’s name is a golden chapter in the history of Pakistan cricket. He is the only captain of Pakistan to win ICC titles at both junior and senior levels.
He made Pakistan the world champion by defeating India in the final of the Under-19 World Cup in 2006. Exactly 11 years later, in 2017, he defeated arch-rivals India once again in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy to win the world title, which is one of the most memorable moments in the history of Pakistan cricket.
Under his leadership, Pakistan’s T20 team achieved the number 1 position in the world rankings and set a world record by winning 11 consecutive T20 series. Sarfraz Ahmed led Pakistan in a total of 100 international matches.
In recognition of his services, the Government of Pakistan also awarded him the country’s highest civilian honour, the ‘Pride of Performance’, in 2018.
Emotional farewell message and commitment to the future
In his retirement statement, Sarfaraz Ahmed said that representing Pakistan was a dream come true for him. He said: “Winning the 2006 Under-19 World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy are the most memorable moments of my career. I have always tried to play fearless and aggressive cricket and build a united team.”
The former captain, while thanking his teammates, coaches, PCB, and fans, appreciated the talents of players like Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shadab Khan.
He said that it is a source of pride for him to see these young match-winners emerge. Although he is stepping away from international cricket, Pakistan cricket will always be close to his heart, and he will continue to serve the game in the future.
