The former captain expressed gratitude to his teammates, coaches, family, and fans for their steadfast support throughout his cricketing career.
Former Test captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has officially retired from international cricket, closing a remarkable career of nearly two decades, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced in a press release.
The Karachi-born wicketkeeper-batter made his ODI debut in 2007, followed by his Test and T20I debuts in 2010, ultimately representing Pakistan in 54 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 61 T20Is.
Sarfaraz Ahmed scored 6,164 runs across all formats, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, he took 315 catches and completed 56 stumpings during his international career.
As captain, Sarfaraz led Pakistan in 100 international matches across formats—50 ODIs, 37 T20Is, and 13 Tests—guiding the team to the No. 1 ranking in T20I cricket. Under his leadership, Pakistan set a world record with 11 consecutive T20I series wins and achieved six series clean sweeps, including victories over West Indies (2016, 2018), Sri Lanka (2017), Australia (2018), New Zealand (2018), and Scotland (2018).
His captaincy also coincided with the rise of several future stars, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, and Shadab Khan, whom he backed early in their careers.
Sarfaraz led Pakistan to a historic triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy, defeating India by 180 runs in the final at The Oval in 2017. With this win, he became the first Pakistan captain to lift the Champions Trophy and the only captain to win ICC titles at both junior and senior levels, having previously captained Pakistan to victory in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in 2006 in Sri Lanka.
In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the Pride of Performance in 2018, becoming the youngest Pakistan captain to receive the honour.
Among his individual records, Sarfaraz holds the Pakistan record for most catches in a Test match, taking 10 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2019. He is also the only Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to score an ODI century at Lord’s, achieved against England in 2016.
Sarfaraz made his international debut in an ODI in 2007 and played his final international match, a Test against Australia in Perth, in 2023.
In a statement, he said: “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.
“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, Fakhar, Hasan, Shaheen, Shadab and others grow into match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements.
“I also thank the Pakistan Cricket Board for the trust they placed in me over the years. Pakistan cricket has always been very close to my heart, and I will continue to support the game in every possible way.”
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