Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing the curtain down on a career that spanned nearly two decades and included leading the Pakistan national cricket team to their most recent major ICC title.
The wicketkeeper-batter’s finest moment came at the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy when he captained Pakistan to a memorable triumph, defeating the India national cricket team by 180 runs in the final at The Oval. The victory secured Pakistan’s first Champions Trophy crown and remains the country’s last major ICC trophy win.
Sarfaraz represented Pakistan in all three formats, playing 54 Tests, 117 One Day Internationals and 61 Twenty20 Internationals. Across formats, he scored 6,164 runs, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, he also made a major impact with 315 catches and 56 stumpings.
A respected leader, Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches across formats — 50 ODIs, 37 T20Is and 13 Tests — and guided the team to the No.1 ranking in T20 international cricket during his tenure.
His leadership success began early when he led Pakistan to the title at the 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka, defeating India in the final.
Reflecting on his journey, Sarfaraz said representing Pakistan had been the greatest honour of his life. He thanked teammates, coaches, fans and his family for their unwavering support and also expressed gratitude to the Pakistan Cricket Board for the trust placed in him over the years.
Sarfaraz made his international debut in an ODI against India in 2007 and played his final match for Pakistan in a Test against the Australia national cricket team in Perth in 2023. He said he would continue to remain connected with Pakistan cricket and support the game in the future.
Source: ICC
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