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Following a decorated cricketing career, former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed retires from international cricket after nearly two decades. Being the only captain after Imran Khan to lead the national team to a 50-over trophy, the wicket-keeper batsman featured in 54 tests, 117 ODIs and 61 T20Is.
Having made his international debut against India in an ODI in Jaipur in November 2007, Sarfaraz Ahmed retired after amassing 6164 runs, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, Sarfaraz finished with 315 catches and 56 stumpings.
Sarfaraz Ahmed retires: career before captaincy
After wicket-keeper batter Kamran Akmal was dropped due to poor form, Sarfaraz made his debut against Australia in 2010 in the Hobart test, but he could only manage 6 runs across a couple of innings.
He was in and out of the side until 2012, when he made a name for himself on the international stage. The wicket-keeper batter scored 46 in a valiant effort against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2012 final. Pakistan eventually won the match by 2 runs.
Now, Sarfaraz repaid the faith the board had in him by notching up centuries against Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand in consecutive series during the 2013/14 season.
He was also part of the 2015 World Cup and in a crucial match against South Africa, scored 49 and also equalled Adam Gilchrist’s record of the most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in a single innings (6). As a result, he was named man of the match.
Also Read: Sarfaraz Ahmed – The Lost Captaincy
But his purple patch continued, after he scored 101* against Ireland, which helped Pakistan qualify for the quarter-finals and handed the wicket-keeper batter his second man of the match award.
To date, Sarfaraz Ahmed remains the Pakistani wicket-keeper batter to score an ODI century at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground in 2016 against England.
2016 also happened to be the same year when, after a dismal T20 World Cup performance, Sarfaraz was handed the reins of the T20 side.
Sarfaraz Ahmed retires: the highs of his career
Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches across formats: 50 ODIs, 37 T20Is and 13 Tests.
The highlight of his career undoubtedly would be the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy victory. In a tournament, the men’s green entered as the lowest-ranked side, only to demolish India in the final, a memorable moment etched in every Pakistan cricket fan’s heart.
This victory led him to become the only captain to have led Pakistan to international trophies at a senior and junior level, having earlier captained the side to the 2006 U19 World Cup win in Sri Lanka, also against India.
Despite his exploits as a captain in ODIs, Sarfaraz Ahmed retires as arguably Pakistan’s greatest T20I captain.
Under his leadership, Pakistan rose to the No. 1 ranking in T20I cricket and went on a world-record streak of 11 consecutive T20I series victories, with 29 out of 37 wins in total, giving him the highest win percentage (78.38%) for any Pakistan captain in the shorter format.
He also led Quetta Gladiators to their only PSL title, having served as a captain of the franchise for 8 years.
Also Read: The Lost Glory ft. Sarfaraz Ahmed
Sarfaraz Ahmed retires: the end
However, a loss of form and series losses saw him not only lose out on captaincy in all three formats in 2019, but also a spot in the national side.
Another reason was the emergence of Pakistan’s current wicket-keeping mainstay, Mohammad Rizwan, but Sarfaraz made his way back into the side following a consistent run in first-class cricket.
In a test series against New Zealand in 2022, in his home city of Karachi, the former captain made scores of 86, 53, 78 and 118. Pakistan drew the series, and Sarfaraz was declared the Player of the Series.
Sarfaraz Ahmed’s effect on Pakistan cricket and what he had to say
Sarfaraz also backed several cricketers early in their international careers, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan.
“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,” the 38-year-old said.
It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent Pakistan,” Sarfaraz said in a statement. “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 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 served as a mentor to the U19 side, the highlight being the Emerging Asia Cup final win against India.
He was recently appointed to the selection committee for the men’s side and is widely tipped to become the next head coach of the team as well.
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