Mohsin Naqvi presents commemorative shield to Sarfaraz Ahmed after retirement

LAHORE: The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, has presented a commemorative shield to former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed following his retirement from international cricket. 

Sarfaraz, who currently serves on the Pakistan men’s selection committee, announced his retirement on Sunday, drawing the curtain on a distinguished career spanning nearly two decades.

The former wicketkeeper-batsman met with Naqvi, who lauded him for his invaluable contributions to Pakistan cricket and conveyed his best wishes for Sarfaraz’s future endeavours.

Taking a moment to reflect on Sarfaraz’s remarkable career, PCB chief Naqvi praised the former captain for his dedication, leadership, and the lasting legacy he leaves in Pakistan cricket.

"You have fulfilled the honour of representing Pakistan in cricket and adorned our game with countless successes," Naqvi said.

"Pakistan cricket will always be indebted to your contributions and will continue to benefit from your experience and abilities," he added.

Sarfaraz, who famously led Pakistan to ICC Champions Trophy glory in 2017, departs having made significant contributions across all three formats of the game.

The 37-year-old made his One Day International (ODI) debut in 2007, followed by his Test and T20I debuts in 2010. 

Over the course of his international career, he played 54 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 61 T20Is, amassing 6,164 runs, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, he claimed 315 catches and completed 56 stumpings.

His captaincy tenure was particularly noteworthy. Sarfaraz led Pakistan in 100 international matches across formats, guiding the side to the coveted No.1 T20I ranking. 

Under his leadership, Pakistan set a world-record streak of 11 consecutive T20I series victories and achieved six clean sweeps against teams including the West Indies (twice), Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and Scotland.

He also played a key role in nurturing the next generation of Pakistan stars, giving early opportunities to players such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan.

The pinnacle of his captaincy came in 2017 when Pakistan triumphed over arch-rivals India by 180 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy final at The Oval.

With this victory, Sarfaraz became the first Pakistan captain to lift the Champions Trophy and remains the only captain to have won ICC titles at both junior and senior levels, having previously led Pakistan to the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup title in Sri Lanka in 2006.

In recognition of his achievements, including the Champions Trophy success, Sarfaraz was awarded the Pride of Performance in 2018, becoming the youngest Pakistan captain to receive the civilian honour. 

He also holds the distinction of being the only Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman to score an ODI century at Lord’s, achieving the feat against England in 2016.

His final international appearance came in a Test match against Australia in Perth in 2023.