Mohammad Hafeez announces retirement from international cricket

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez on Monday (January 3) announced his international retirement. The all-rounder played for Pakistan in a career that spanned 18 years.

“Today I want to officially retire from my beautiful journey I started 18 years ago with Pakistan Cricket,” Mohammad Hafeez said.

“I represented Pakistan with great pride and whatever I have played throughout my 18 years I played with dignity and whether it’s on the field or off the activities, I tried to raise Pakistan’s flag high.

“I am very much happy and satisfied with my career and achievements which were actually for Pakistan so this is it for me.

However, Hafeez added he will continue to play in domestic leagues.

“I represented Pakistan with absolute pride but I will continue to play international leagues until I am fit and can contribute with performances.

My journey of pride representing ?? came to an end & i m proudly retiring from international cricket with great satisfaction & joy. Thank u all for 18 years of support. Maintaining highest level of pride & dignity always is my most valuable achievement. Pakistan ?? Zindabad

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) January 3, 2022

“When you have a professional career as long as mine, you’re bound to have your share of highs and lows, and I was no different.

“Results apart, I can say with conviction that I had more highs as I had the privilege of playing with and against some of the finest exponents of the bat and the ball of my era.”

Mohammad Hafeez – a unique career

Hafeez leaves behind a unique legacy in the sport. He is best remembered for his white ball exploits, but did also play 55 Tests for Pakistan. Aside from that, he played 218 ODIs and 119 T20Is.

With the bat, he was best known for his ability to score quickly. He would often look to play his big shots, and was successful in doing so more often than not.

He was also handy with the ball in hand. His off-spin was part-time at first, but the frequency of his bowling increased later in his career.

But his bowling did not have the same effect in his later years. This was down to the fact that he was reported many times for a suspect action.

He worked on retooling his action, but it did impact his bowling as a whole. Nevertheless, he would roll his arm over as and when needed.

His last game for Pakistan came in the semis of the 2021 T20 World Cup. There, Pakistan lost to Australia and were thus eliminated from the tournament.

Hafeez will play in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) season. He will represent the Lahore Qalandars, having signed with them this year.

“While cricket has been a great learning school for me, this great sport has provided me opportunities to visit various countries, explore their cultures and make friends,” he further said.

“These are lifelong memories, which I will cherish every day. I want to thank my fans for standing beside me understanding my lean patch, cherishing my success.”