Middle-order batsman Asif Ali, who represented Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cup, has retired from international cricket. The retirement announcement precedes the Asia Cup 2025, which is soon to commence. Ali, who made his debut in 2018, played a total of 79 matches for Pakistan across both ODI and T20 formats.
In a social media post on September 1st, the 33-year-old Ali shared his decision. He stated, “Today, I announce my retirement from international cricket. Representing Pakistan has been the greatest honor of my life, and serving my country on the cricket field has been a source of immense pride.” Ali also extended his thanks to his teammates, coaching staff, and the fans.
Ali debuted for Pakistan in T20 cricket in 2018, and later that year made his ODI debut. He was known for his aggressive batting, often receiving opportunities in the team in the middle order and as a finisher, especially in T20s. However, he struggled to consistently perform at the expected level, and was often unable to deliver significant contributions.
Despite his promise, Ali wasn’t selected for the upcoming Asia Cup. In the 2022 Asia Cup in the UAE, he was a part of the Pakistani squad. Before the tournament, Ali claimed that he would hit 150 sixes in practice sessions daily. While he did deliver one match-winning performance against Afghanistan, his overall performance was considered below par. During the two matches against India, he scored 25 runs off 15 balls. Similarly, he scored only 2 runs against India in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Having debuted for Pakistan in 2018, Ali has been out of the team for the past two years. His last T20 match was in October 2023, and his last ODI match was in April 2022. Across his career, Ali scored 577 runs in 58 T20 matches, with an average of 15 and a strike rate of 133. In 21 ODIs, he scored 382 runs, averaging 25.
