Pakistani cricketer Asad Shafiq has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The 37-year-old has lost his passion for the game.
“I have lost the passion and excitement to play cricket and even my physical fitness has declined. I have decided to say goodbye to the game I loved the most.
Assad will soon become a national team member. “I’m joining the Pakistan Cricket Board as a selector. I’ve got the papers.” He is looking forward to a new challenge.
In 77 Test matches, he scored 4,660 runs at a healthy average of 38.19 including 12 centuries and 27 half-centuries.
Assad had fruitful partnerships with Azhar Ali, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.
Assad also said that he was not pressured by anyone to make the decision. “I continued to play domestic cricket in the hope of regaining my place in the national team. However, I decided to hang up my boots after the current season. “I will be 38 years old and this was the right time to try something different before people ask me to vacate my place,” he added.
Asad said he was proud to be part of the team under Misbah-ul-Haq. “After the points-fixing scandal in 2010, it was a difficult stage for the team. I am happy that we were able to regain the trust of our fans under Misbah’s leadership.”
In 66 international matches, he collected 1,336 runs at an average of 24.74. Asad also participated in 10 T20Is, scoring 192 runs at an average of 19.20.
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