New Delhi. Former Pakistan captain and one of the leading batsmen, Azhar Ali has decided to retire from Test cricket after the third and final match of the series against England starting on Saturday. Azhar, 37, has so far scored 7097 runs in 96 Tests at an average of 42.49. He has 19 centuries and 35 fifties, including a top score of 302 not out against the West Indies. He also has eight Test wickets to his name.
Azhar has played 53 ODIs and 49 T20Is for Pakistan. In which he scored 1895 and 985 runs respectively. Announcing his retirement, Azhar said in a statement on Friday, “It is a great honor and privilege for me to represent my country. It is always difficult to decide when it is time to say goodbye, but after deep thought, I have realized that this is the right time for me to retire.”
family support
Azhar further added, “There are many people to whom I am grateful in this difficult, yet beautiful journey. I would like to make a special mention of my family, without whose support I would not be where I am today. My parents, wife, siblings and children have always been my strength.”
expressed gratitude to those with whom he played
Azhar thanked all his teammates with whom he shared good relations on and off the field. “I have had the privilege of sharing the dressing room with some of the most outstanding cricketers with whom I share a strong bond. I feel very enriched to have these people among my friends. I have also had the privilege of playing under some amazing coaches who I will be forever grateful to have played with.”
Azhar Ali, one of Pakistan’s most successful batsmen, will retire after the third Test against England starting on Saturday. With 7,097 runs in 96 Tests at an average of 42.49, Azhar is Pakistan’s fifth-highest run-scorer behind Younis Khan (10,099), Javed Miandad (8,832), Inzamam-ul-Haq (8,829) and Mohammad Yousuf (7,530). Huh.
Azhar made his Test debut in 2010, as a 25-year-old, against Australia at Lord’s. Scored his maiden Test fifty in his second match. Scored first century in 19 innings. Azhar, 37, is the only Pakistani batsman to score a triple century in Tests with the pink ball. He achieved this feat in 2016 against West Indies in Dubai. Azhar scored an unbeaten 302, which was his highest score.