Champions Trophy-winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed retires from international cricket

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from international cricket, ending a long career highlighted by the 2017 Champions Trophy triumph.

Sarfaraz Ahmed and Babar Azam (Image Credit: ICC)

Pakistan's Sarfaraz Ahmed has bid farewell to international cricket on March 15, 2026. He released a statement where he announced his retirement after playing for the country for nearly about two decades. The wicket-keeper batter faced many criticism in the past regarding his performance, however, the former cricketer never gave up on his team.

He captained Pakistan for a long period of time where he won the Champions Trophy in 2017 by defeating India in the finals. They pulled off a mammoth total on the board and went on to slam the arch-rivals. If we look at his career, he made his debut against India in 2007. He played 54 Tests, 117 ODIs and 61 T20Is, amassing a total of 6164 runs, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries.

"It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent Pakistan," Sarfaraz said in a statement. "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.

"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.

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Sarfaraz Ahmed extends heartfelt gratitude to Pakistan board

Sarfaraz Ahmed played cricket for a long time and was truly recognised for his astounding performances during tournament. Hence, PCB awarded Pakistan's Pride of Performance in 2018 to the keeper-batter as he became the youngest Pakistan captain to receive the honour. Ahmed waited for around three years to get into the team again as he last featured in Perth Test in December 2023. Now, he has taken over coaching responsibilities, especially in the U-19 sector.

"I would like to 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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