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Pakistan’s out-of-favour batter Asif Ali on Tuesday, September 2 announced shocking retirement from international cricket. The middle-order batter put curtains on his international cricketing career, aged 33. The announcement came after the 33-year-old has been out of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) scheme of things off late despite making some memorable performances in the national colours.
Taking to social media, Ali wrote, "Today, I announce my retirement from international cricket. Wearing the Pakistan jersey has been the greatest honour of my life and serving my country on the cricket field has been my proudest chapter. I retire with immense gratitude and will continue to share my passion for the game by playing domestic and league cricket worldwide."
Asif Ali concludes with 959 runs across ODIs and T20Is
The 33-year-old batter, who made his debut in 2018, has featured in 21 ODIs and 58 T20Is. He has amassed 959 runs across both formats. Known for his power-hitting, the middle-order batter retires after maintaining strike rates of 121.65 in ODIs and 133.87 in T20Is during which he also game some memorable knocks.
While his last appearance in the Men in Green came at the 2022 T20 World Cup in match against India, he then went on to make a few appearances for the second-string squad in the 2023 Asian Games. Out of the many, his quick cameo against Afghanistan from the T20 World Cup 2021, where he raced to 25 off just seven balls was a key one.
The 33-year-old meanwhile will continue to feature in domestic cricket and franchise cricket tournaments around the world.
