Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a notable career with the national side.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, Sarfaraz represented Pakistan national cricket team in 54 Test matches, 117 One-Day Internationals and 61 Twenty20 Internationals.
During his international career, he scored a total of 6,164 runs across formats. As a wicketkeeper, he also recorded 315 catches and 56 stumpings behind the stumps.
Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches and led the team to one of its most memorable victories when Pakistan won the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.
Under his leadership, Pakistan also reached the No.1 ranking in T20 International cricket.
He remains the only Pakistani captain to have won ICC titles at both junior and senior levels, having earlier led Pakistan to victory in the ICC Under‑19 Cricket World Cup 2006.
In recognition of his services, the Government of Pakistan awarded him the Pride of Performance in 2018.
Speaking about his retirement, Sarfaraz said representing Pakistan had been the greatest honour of his life. He described winning the Under-19 World Cup in 2006 and the Champions Trophy in 2017 as the most memorable moments of his career.
The former captain also thanked teammates, coaches, family members and fans for their support throughout his journey, adding that leading Pakistan in all three formats had been a dream come true.
Sarfaraz said he always tried to play fearless cricket and build a united team. He also expressed pride in seeing players such as Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan emerge as match-winners for Pakistan.
He added that the support and trust of the Pakistan Cricket Board would always remain memorable and vowed to continue serving cricket in every possible way.
Reporter: Javed Iqbal