Sarfaraz Ahmed Announces Retirement from International Cricket

Sarfaraz Ahmed Bids Farewell to International Cricket

On March 15, former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, Sarfaraz Ahmed, officially declared his retirement from international cricket. His final appearance for the national team took place in 2023. Recently, Sarfaraz joined the selection committee and is expected to take on the role of head coach for Pakistan.

As a wicketkeeper-batsman, Sarfaraz has often cited MS Dhoni as his idol, admiring the Indian cricket legend's exceptional skills behind the stumps and his leadership qualities. Dhoni, who retired from international cricket five years ago, continues to be regarded as one of the finest wicketkeepers in the game.

During the 2016 T20 World Cup, Sarfaraz expressed his admiration for Dhoni, stating, 'I follow him a lot. The way he is making a difference with wicket-keeping and batting, I try to learn a lot from him. He is a very good cricketer for India, and I idolise him. Hope I too will be able to finish the match like him.'

Pakistan's performance in that tournament was disappointing, with only one victory out of four matches, leading to an early exit. Following this, Sarfaraz took over the T20I captaincy from Shahid Afridi and led the team to victory in the 2017 Champions Trophy.

However, in 2019, he was removed from the captaincy and subsequently lost his place in the national squad, playing only three ODIs after the 2019 World Cup. Under his leadership, Pakistan won 4 out of 13 Test matches and achieved 28 victories in 50 ODIs, while his T20I record was impressive with 29 wins out of 37 matches.

Before his tenure with the senior team, Sarfaraz captained the Pakistan U19 team to a World Cup title in 2006. His last white-ball match for Pakistan occurred in 2021, but he is expected to remain involved with Pakistan cricket in a dual capacity soon, as Mike Hesson currently serves as the head coach for the white-ball teams.