Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from international cricket.
Sarfaraz Ahmed announces retirement days after selection panel appointment
The announcement came via a press release from the Pakistan Cricket Board on Sunday (March 15). A former all-format captain for Pakistan, Sarfaraz led them to the 2017 Champions Trophy, till date Pakistan's only ICC title since the 2009 T20 World Cup. In 2006, he also captained the U19 team to the World Cup title; on both of these occasions, Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India in the final. During Sarfaraz's tenure, Pakistan also reached top spot in the ICC's men's T20I rankings.
“It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent Pakistan,” he said in the 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. 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 Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and others grow into match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements.
“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.”
Sarfaraz played 54 Tests, 117 ODIs and 61 T20Is in all, captaining in 13, 50 and 37 of those matches respectively.
The announcement of Sarfaraz's retirement comes just a day after he was present at a press conference involving the Pakistan Cricket Board's new selection panel of himself, Aaqib Javed, Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq. His place on the panel was confirmed 10 days ago (March 5, 2026). Additionally, Sarfaraz was named mentor/manager of the Pakistan U19 side for the Asia Cup in late 2025 and the World Cup in early 2026. Those responsibilites also saw him oversee Pakistan's 'A' team, the Shaheens.
The Times of India have reported that the formal announcement could allow for Sarfaraz's appointment as coach of Pakistan's Test team, a post that has been vacant since June 2025; Azhar Mahmood took charge on an interim basis until December, but will not continue.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
