Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who led his nation to its first Champions Trophy victory in 2017, announced his retirement from the game on Sunday.
Over the course of almost 20 years, the Karachi-born wicketkeeper-batter played in 54 tests, 117 one-day internationals, and 61 Twenty20 international matches. He amassed over 6,000 runs in all formats and claimed 315 catches and 56 stumpings.
In the 2017 Champions Trophy final at the Oval, Pakistan defeated India by 180 runs under the leadership of the 38-year-old. In 2006, he led the Under-19 squad to victory in the World Cup.
“It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent Pakistan. From leading the U-19 team to a world title in 2006 to lifting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, every moment in Pakistan colours has been special,” Sarfaraz said in a statement.
“Captaining Pakistan across all formats was a dream come true. I always tried to play fearless cricket and build a united team.
“Seeing players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and others grow into match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements.”
In addition to leading Pakistan to the top spot in the T20 rankings, Sarfaraz captained the team in 100 international matches across the three formats.
In December 2023, he played his final game for Pakistan in a Test match against Australia in Perth.
