Pakistan batter Asif Ali retires from international cricket

33-year-old featured in 21 One Day Internationals and 58 T20 Internationals

Last updated: September 02, 2025 | 13:08

Jai Rai, Assistant Editor

2 MIN READ

Asif Ali's last appearance for Pakistan came at the 2022 T20 World Cup match against India.

AFP

Dubai: Pakistan batter Asif Ali announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday.

The 33-year-old featured in 21 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 58 T20 Internationals (T20Is), primarily serving as a middle-order finisher.

His last appearance for Pakistan came at the 2022 T20 World Cup match against India.

Known for his aggressive style, Asif’s most memorable performance came during the 2021 T20 World Cup, when he smashed a match-winning 25 runs off just seven balls against Afghanistan in a nail-biting encounter.

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“Today, I announce my retirement from international cricket. Wearing the Pakistan jersey has been the greatest honour of my life, and representing my country on the cricket field remains my proudest chapter,” he wrote in a heartfelt social media post.

Asif confirmed he will continue playing domestic cricket and participate in franchise leagues globally. He was part of the Pakistan squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2021 T20 World Cup and the final in 2022.

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He made his T20I debut in 2018 against the West Indies, shortly after helping Islamabad United win the Pakistan Super League (PSL) title that same year. He earned his ODI cap two months later. However, inconsistency and loss of form saw him fall out of favour, with his final appearance for Pakistan coming during the 2023 Asian Games, where a second-string side was fielded.

In his ODI career, Asif scored 382 runs at an average of 25.46, including three half-centuries. In T20Is, he accumulated 577 runs at an average of 15.18, with a strike rate of 133.87 and a top score of 41 not out.

Jai RaiAssistant Editor

Jai is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience across India and the UAE, specialising in sports reporting. Throughout his distinguished career, he has had the privilege of covering some of the biggest names and events in sports, including cricket, tennis, Formula 1 and golf. A former first-division cricket league captain himself, he brings not only a deep understanding of the game but also a cricketer's discipline to his work. His unique blend of athletic insight and journalistic expertise gives him a wide-ranging perspective that enriches his storytelling, making his coverage both detailed and engaging. Driven by an unrelenting passion for sports, he continues to craft compelling narratives that resonate with readers. As the day winds down for most, he begins his work, ensuring that the most captivating stories make it to the print edition in time for readers to receive them bright and early the next morning.