Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has officially announced his retirement from international cricket. The announcement was confirmed through a press release issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). His retirement marks the end of a long and successful international career.
Karachi-born wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed served Pakistan cricket for nearly two decades. He made his One Day International debut in 2007. Later, he played his first Test and T20 International matches in 2010.
During his international career, Sarfaraz Ahmed represented Pakistan in all three formats of the game. He played 54 Test matches, 117 One Day Internationals, and 61 T20 Internationals. Across these formats, he scored a total of 6,164 runs.
His batting record includes six centuries and 35 half-centuries. As a wicketkeeper, he also performed strongly behind the stumps. He took 315 catches and completed 56 stumpings during his international career.
Sarfaraz Ahmed also had a significant role as captain of the Pakistan team. He led the national side in 100 international matches across formats. His leadership record includes 50 ODIs, 37 T20Is, and 13 Test matches.
Under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pakistan achieved major success in T20 International cricket. The team reached the number one ranking in T20Is during his leadership period. Pakistan also set a world record by winning 11 consecutive T20I series.
During this period, Pakistan recorded several clean sweeps in T20I series. These victories came against teams such as West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland.
One of the biggest achievements of Sarfaraz Ahmed came in 2017. He led Pakistan to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy final. Pakistan defeated India by 180 runs at The Oval in England to win the title.
With that triumph, Sarfaraz became the first Pakistan captain to win the Champions Trophy. Earlier, he had also led Pakistan to victory in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka. This made him the only Pakistan captain to win ICC titles at both junior and senior levels.
During his captaincy era, several young players developed into key members of the national team. These included Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, and Imam-ul-Haq.
Sarfaraz Ahmed also holds several personal records. He once took 10 catches in a Test match against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2019. This remains a record for a Pakistan wicketkeeper in Test cricket. He is also the only Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to score an ODI century at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
In recognition of his achievements, Sarfaraz Ahmed received the Pride of Performance in 2018. He became the youngest Pakistan captain to receive this honor.
His first international match came in 2007. His final appearance was a Test match against Australia in Perth in 2023.
In a statement, Sarfaraz Ahmed said representing Pakistan was the greatest honor of his life. He thanked his teammates, coaches, family, and fans for their support throughout his career.
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He also expressed gratitude to the Pakistan Cricket Board for trusting him during his journey. Sarfaraz added that Pakistan cricket will always remain close to his heart. He said he will continue to support the sport in every possible way.
