Pakistan batter Asif Ali has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 33. The hard-hitting middle-order batter played 21 ODIs and 58 T20Is for Pakistan, mainly as a finisher.
Asif is best remembered for his match-winning cameo against Afghanistan during the 2021 T20 World Cup, where he smashed 25 runs off just seven balls to take Pakistan to a thrilling victory.
“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,” Asif said in a statement on social media. He confirmed that he will continue to play domestic cricket and participate in franchise leagues around the world.
Asif made his T20I debut in April 2018 against West Indies after playing a key role in Islamabad United’s PSL title win that year, where he hit three consecutive sixes in the final. Two months later, he made his ODI debut for Pakistan.
At a time when Pakistan lacked power hitters, Asif was seen as a revolutionary option in the middle order. However, he was often underutilized. In ODIs, he mostly batted at number six, which didn’t suit his role as a finisher, and in T20Is, he faced just over seven balls per innings on average. More than 25% of his innings ended unbeaten, showing he often came in too late.
Despite the inconsistency, Asif produced some memorable cameos. Apart from his heroics against Afghanistan, he smashed an 8-ball 16 against India in the 2022 Asia Cup to help Pakistan reach the final. But after that, his form dipped. He played a limited role in the 2022 T20 World Cup and was last seen for the main Pakistan team against India at the MCG. His final appearances came in the 2023 Asian Games as part of a second-string side.
“I retire with immense gratitude, and will continue to share my passion for the game by playing domestic and league cricket worldwide,” he added.