Cricketer Asif Ali calls it quits after five years of cricket journey

Pakistani right-handed batter Asif Ali on Monday announced his retirement from international cricket, calling his time in the national jersey the “proudest chapter” of his life.

The 34-year-old shared the news on Instagram, writing: “Today, I announce my retirement from international cricket.”

The middle-order batsman wrote: “Wearing the Pakistan jersey has been the greatest honour of my life, and serving my country on the cricket field has been my proudest chapter.”

The hard-hitter expressed gratitude towards his fans, colleagues, and coaches for supporting him at “every high and low”.

“To my family and friends, who stood with me in moments of joy and in the deepest of trials, including the loss of my beloved daughter during the World Cup, your strength carried me forward,” he added.

Ali, who commenced his international career in 2018 and appeared in his last match against Bangladesh in October 2023, during the Asian Games, played 58 T20Is and 21 ODIs in five years of his cricket journey.

In total, he scored 959 runs, including three centuries in both formats.

He remained part of the Pakistani squad in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2022 and 2021.

In the T20I World Cup 2021 semi-final, Asif played a memorable innings against New Zealand and Afghanistan.