Asad Shafiq has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
2023.12.12
Former Pakistan Test middle-order hitter Asad Shafiq has declared his retirement from all forms of cricket and is set to become a national selector.
Shafiq, 37, was a key member of Misbah-ul-Haq’s Test team in the 2010s, helping them reach the top of the Test rankings in August 2016. On Sunday, he announced his retirement after captaining the Karachi Whites to the National T20 title, which they won against Abbotabad in the final in Karachi. He has volunteered to play three games for SNGPL (Sui Northern Gas Pipelines) in the returning Patron’s Trophy – the first-class event for department teams – because they would be missing numerous players on Test duty. However, the T20 final basically served as his goodbye.
Shafiq played his final 77 Tests for Pakistan in 2020, over ten years after making his debut. He’d been a regular on the domestic circuit since, though he admitted after the final that he wasn’t as enthused about the game as he once was.
“I’m no longer feeling that excitement and passion that I did when I first started playing the game,” he told reporters. “I wanted to thank everyone who has helped me throughout my career.”
Shafiq built a middle order with Misbah, Younis Khan, and Azhar Ali that was the foundation of most of Pakistan’s success, particularly during their years in exile in the UAE. He finished his career with 4660 runs at an average of 38.19, though it hovered in the mid-40s at his best periods. That was due in part to his spending the majority of his Tests at No. 6, acting as a bridge between the engine room and a constantly vulnerable lower order. He is famous for having the most Test hundreds from that position; he broke Sir Garry Sobers’ record during one of his most memorable centuries, a 137 at the Gabba that nearly led Pakistan to victory in a huge chase of 490.
That century arrived shortly after he hit 109 at The Oval, which Pakistan won to draw the series and move up to the top of the Test rankings. Following the 2010 spot-fixing controversy, Shafiq made his debut for his country in England. He played his maiden ODIs during that trip and his first Test in November of the same year, when Misbah assumed captaincy. “It was quite difficult after the 2010 incident and we had to win the trust of the public back,” he stated.
While Shafiq awaits the completion of his contract, he can look forward to serving as a selector on Wahab Riaz’s revamp committee in the future.
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