Pakistan U19 coach Sarfaraz Ahmed announces retirement from international cricket

Sarfaraz Ahmed has retired from international cricket, bringing the curtain down on a decorated career for Pakistan in which he scored 6,164 runs and led the team to the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy title.

In Short

• Sarfaraz Ahmed led Pakistan to the Champions Trophy 2017 title
• Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches
• Sarfaraz is currently the Pakistan U19 coach

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from international cricket. The former captain, who led Pakistan to glory in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, featured in 54 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 61 T20Is, scoring 6,164 runs, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries. The 38-year-old also enjoyed success behind the stumps, finishing with 315 catches and 56 stumpings in international cricket.

Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches across formats, including 50 ODIs, 37 T20Is, and 13 Tests, and guided the side to the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I rankings. Having last represented Pakistan in December 2023 during a Test against Australia, he is currently serving as the Pakistan U-19 coach, a role he took up in November last year.

‘DREAM COME TRUE’

Sarfaraz described representing Pakistan as the greatest honour of his life, reflecting on milestones ranging from leading the U-19 team to a world title in 2006 to lifting the Champions Trophy in 2017. He said captaining Pakistan was a dream come true and expressed pride in helping shape future match-winners during his tenure as skipper.

“It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent Pakistan. From leading the U19 team to a world title in 2006 to lifting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, every moment in Pakistan colours has been special. I am grateful to my teammates, coaches, family and the fans for their unwavering support throughout my career," Sarfaraz said.

“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, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali,Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and others grow into match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements,” Sarfaraz added.

SARFARAZ SHINES AS CAPTAIN

Sarfaraz etched his name in history by becoming the first Pakistan captain to win the ICC Champions Trophy. He is also the only Pakistan captain so far to claim ICC titles at both junior and senior levels, having earlier guided the country to victory in the 2006 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan defeated India by 38 runs in the final.

On the individual front, Sarfaraz holds Pakistan’s record for the most catches in a Test match by a wicketkeeper, taking 10 catches against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2019. He also remains the only Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to score an ODI century at Lord’s, achieving the feat against England in 2016.

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