Azhar Ali announces retirement from Test cricket
In 2010, Azhar, as a 25-year-old, made his Test debut in England against Australia
Pakistan’s veteran batter Azhar Ali has announced his retirement from Test cricket on Friday.
The third Test against England, which begins tomorrow, will be Azhar’s last in the longest format of the game. He was dropped from the side for the second Test of the series in Multan.
Azhar was one of Pakistan's most successful batters, with 7,097 runs in 96 matches at an average of 42.49.
The right-hander is Pakistan’s fifth leading Test run-getter behind Younis Khan (10,099), Javed Miandad (8,832), Inzamam-ul-Haq (8,829) and Mohammad Yousuf (7,530).
In 2010, Azhar, as a 25-year-old, made his Test debut in England against Australia at Lord’s and scored his maiden Test half-century in only his second match.
He notched up 35 half-centuries and went past the 100-run mark on 19 instances over the course of his career.
The 37-year-old also led Pakistan in nine Tests in two separate tenures from 2016 till 2020.
Azhar, 37, is the only Pakistan batter to score a triple-century in a pink-ball Test — a feat that he achieved against the West Indies at Dubai in 2016. That unbeaten 302 remains his highest score in Test cricket.
Azhar retired from One-Day Internationals in 2018 — a year after helping Pakistan win the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. In that tournament, Azhar had scores of 50 (v India), 9 (v South Africa), 34 (v Sri Lanka), 76 (v England in semi-final) and 59 (v India in final).
“It has been a great honour and privilege for me to represent my country at the highest level. Deciding on when to call it a day is always tough, but, after contemplating deeply, I realised that this is the right time for me to retire from Test cricket,” Azhar was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Cricket Board in a press release.
“There are many people who I am grateful to in this strenuous, yet beautiful journey. I want to make a special mention of my family without whose sacrifices; I would not have been where I am today. My parents, wife, siblings, and children have been my strength throughout.
“I have been blessed to share dressing room with some of the most outstanding cricketers with whom I share a strong bond. I feel much richer by calling these people my friends. I am also blessed to have played under some wonderful coaches to whom I will always remain grateful.
“I retire from international cricket as a fulfilled cricketer who ticked most of the goals he had set for himself. Not many cricketers go on to lead their countries, and that I was able to captain Pakistan is a matter of great pride for me. From being a kid who started as a leg-spinner to becoming a mainstay in the Test batting line-up, I had the loveliest moments of my life that I will cherish forever.”
Meanwhile, PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja also lauded Azhar for a brilliant career.
“Azhar Ali has been one of the most committed and loyal servants of Pakistan cricket. His grit and determination have been an inspiration for many young cricketers and he is a role model for up and coming cricketers,” said Raja.
“While it is sad that Pakistan will not have a player of his experience in the dressing room to draw upon, it only reflects the circle of life. I hope to see Azhar continuing to play a role in the development of Pakistan cricket and sharing his vast knowledge and experience with budding cricketers.”
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