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The 33-year-old right-handed batter stepped away from international cricket after playing 21 ODIs and 58 T20Is for Men in Green from 2018 to 2023.
Asif Ali retires from international cricket. (Picture Credit: AFP)
33-year-old right-handed Pakistani batter Asif Ali, who has played 21 ODIs and 58 T20Is for Men in Green, on Monday (September 1) announced his retirement from international cricket.
“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,” he said in a social media post.
“I retire with immense gratitude and will continue to share my passion for the game by playing domestic and league cricket worldwide,” Asif said.
Asif made his international debut for Pakistan against the West Indies during a T20I match played in Karachi on April 1, 2018, and his last match for the 1992 World Cup winners was against Bangladesh in Hangzhou on October 7, 2023.
During his five-year-long international career, Asif scored 382 runs in 16 ODI innings and 577 runs in 51 T20I innings. His batting strike rate in T20Is was 133.87.
He was part of Pakistan’s squad in the 2021 T20 World Cup and scored 25 runs from just 7 balls against Afghanistan in the closely contested match on October 29 in Dubai. He also played in the 2021 T20 World Cup match against India, which the Babar Azam-led side won by 10 wickets on October 24 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Asif Ali’s record in international cricket for Pakistan
| ODIs | T20Is | |
| MATCHES | 21 | 58 |
| INNINGS | 16 | 51 |
| RUNS | 382 | 577 |
| AVERAGE | 25.46 | 15.18 |
| STRIKE RATE | 121.65 | 133.87 |
| BEST SCORE | 52 | 41* |
| 50/100 | 3/0 | 0/0 |
| 4/6s | 22/21 | 27/37 |
| CATCHES | 6 | 21 |
Asif played in the 2018 edition of the Asia Cup for Pakistan and also in the 2022 edition (both staged in the UAE).
No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 squad
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 17-member squad for the 2025 edition of the Asia Cup last month, and in that there was no place for former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. In addition to them, all-rounders Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed were also considered for the place in the Salman Ali Agha-led side along with pacers Naseem Shah and Abbas Afridi.
Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, who is Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, however, managed to retain their place in the squad.
In the Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan will open their campaign on September 12 against Oman in Dubai and then take on arch-rivals India at the same venue on September 14.
Pakistan last won the Asia Cup title in 2012 under Misbah-ul-Haq’s leadership by securing a 2-run win over Bangladesh in the summit clash played at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on March 22.
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