Former Pakistan national cricket team captain Sarfaraz Ahmed announced his retirement from international cricket on Sunday, ending a career that lasted nearly two decades. The wicketkeeper-batter represented Pakistan in all three formats of the game. He played 54 Test matches, 117 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 61 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). During his career, Sarfaraz scored a total of 6,164 runs, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries.
Behind the stumps, he also had an impressive record with 315 catches and 56 stumpings. Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches across formats — 50 ODIs, 37 T20Is and 13 Tests. Under his leadership, Pakistan reached the No.1 position in the T20I rankings.
The biggest moment of his captaincy came in 2017 when he led Pakistan to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Pakistan defeated India national cricket team by 180 runs in the final at the Oval in England to win the title.
Earlier in his career, Sarfaraz also achieved success at the junior level. He captained Pakistan to victory in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2006 held in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan defeated India by 38 runs in the final.
Reflecting on his journey, Sarfaraz thanked his teammates, coaches, fans and family members for their support throughout his cricket career.
