Mohammad Hafeez retires from international cricket after 18 years

Hafeez, who played 392 times for Pakistan, will continue to feature on the T20 franchise circuit

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez has retired from international cricket, bringing the curtain down on an 18-year career representing his country.

In all, Hafeez, 41 – a versatile batter and wily off-spinner whose debut came against Zimbabwe in 2003 – made 392 appearances for Pakistan across all formats, scoring 12,780 runs and taking 253 wickets.

Remarkably, he featured in 10 different global tournaments, winning the 2017 Champions Trophy – one of three editions of the competitions in which he took part – alongside six T20 World Cups, only missing Pakistan's victorious campaign in 2009, and three 50-over World Cups.

"Today I say goodbye to international cricket with pride and satisfaction," said Hafeez, revealing the news of his retirement.

"I am extremely fortunate, lucky and proud to have been considered worthy of donning the national kit with Pakistan emblem for 18 years. My country and my team have always been at my forefront and therefore, every time I stepped on to the field, I tried to raise their profile and image by playing hard and tough but within the rich traditions of spirit of cricket.

^{Hafeez represented Pakistan 392 times across formats (Clive Mason/Getty Images)}

"While cricket has been a great learning school for me, this great sport has provided me opportunities to visit various countries, explore their cultures and make friends. These are lifelong memories, which I will cherish every day. I want to thank my fans and supporters for believing in my abilities and backing me throughout my career."

Despite being known primarily for his batting, at various times he topped the ICC's rankings – both in ODI and T20I cricket – as an allrounder and a bowler, even if he was banned from bowling on several occasions.

Most recently, while playing for Middlesex in the T20 Blast in 2019, Hafeez was forced to remodel an illegal action.

He retired from Test cricket in 2018, while Pakistan's selectors opted to move on from the veteran in ODI cricket after the last World Cup.

But he has continued to transform himself in T20 cricket, signing recently for Lahore Qalandars for the next edition of the Pakistan Super League and remaining available for other franchise tournaments beyond the end of his international career.

^{Hafeez bowls against England in 2003, his first year as an international cricketer (Paul Parker/AFP via Getty Images)}

PCB chairman Ramiz Raja added: "Hafeez has been a wholehearted cricketer who worked tirelessly at his game to have a long and fruitful career.

"His game evolved with time, adjusting to different formats quite intelligently. Later in his career, he became a T20 specialist, where he was never out of touch with modern demands of this testing format. His batsmanship took a sprightly turn, nailing sixes almost at will.

"He has worn the green blazer with pride for which we at the PCB are thankful. I wish him best of luck for his future life and thank him again for his magnificent contribution to Pakistan cricket."