Former Test captain and ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2006 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017 winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a distinguished career spanning around two decades. The Karachi-born wicketkeeper-batter made his ODI debut in 2007 before making his Test and T20I debuts in 2010, going on to represent Pakistan in 54 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 61 T20Is. Sarfaraz scored 6,164 runs across formats, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries, and grabbed 315 catches and completed 56 stumpings during his international career. As captain, Sarfaraz led Pakistan in 100 international matches across formats, including 50 ODIs, 37 T20Is, and 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. Sarfaraz’s leadership era also saw the emergence of several future stars, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, and Shadab Khan. He led Pakistan to a historic triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy, beating India by 180 runs in the final at the Oval in England, becoming the first Pakistan captain to win the Champions Trophy and the only captain to win ICC titles at both junior and senior levels. In recognition of his services and the Champions Trophy triumph, Sarfaraz was awarded the Pride of Performance in 2018. Sarfaraz holds the Pakistan record of 10 catches in a Test match and is the only Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to score an ODI century at Lord’s. He played his first international match in 2007 and made his last international appearance in a Test against Australia in Perth in 2023. Sarfaraz stated that representing Pakistan was the greatest honor of his life and that he is grateful to his teammates, coaches, family, and fans for their support. He also thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board for the trust they placed in him and confirmed that he will continue to support Pakistan cricket in every possible way.
