Pakistani batsman Asad Shafiq bids cricket adieu and looks forward to his position as national selector

Asad Shafiq, a 37-year-old Pakistani test hitter, declared his retirement from cricket after feeling less and less of a love for the game. The declaration was given during a news conference on Sunday after he led the Karachi Whites to the National T20 Championship championship.

“I’m not playing cricket with the same zeal and enthusiasm, and I’m not as fit as I should be to play for an international team. This is why, in the press conference after the game, I have made the decision to bid adieu to all cricket,” Asad was cited by PTI.

“I continued to play local cricket for three years after I was dropped from the Pakistan squad in 2020 in the hopes of being given another opportunity. However, I had already determined before the season began that this would be my final one because, at 38, I believed it was time to retire rather than listen to others’ requests to step aside, the batter continued.

Asad also said that he was close to finalizing an agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to begin serving as a paid national selector.

“I have got the contract from the board, and I am looking at it, and hopefully, it will be processed soon,” he said.

From 2010 to 2020, Asad Shafiq was a constant in Pakistan’s Test batting lineup. He amassed 4660 runs at an average of 38.19 across 77 games, including 12 centuries and 27 fifties. Asad also played for Pakistan in 10 T20 Internationals and 60 ODIs.

Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq, Azhar Ali, and Asad were the backbone of Pakistan’s Test batting unit. Asad, who was proud of what he did for the Pakistan squad under Misbah ul Haq, emphasized the difficult time after the spot-fixing controversy and how the team tried to win back the public’s trust in Pakistani cricket.

Following the English spot-fixing controversy in 2010, Asad came to represent Pakistan cricket as a disciplined and uncontroversial brand. Throughout his career, he avoided media attention and kept a low profile.

“Pakistan cricket faced great difficulties following the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, but I’m glad I was a part of the process that helped us regain the public’s trust in our team,” Asad said.

In honor of his last competitive encounter, Asad’s teammates at Karachi Whites presented him with a guard of honor.