Asif Ali retires from international cricket

Asif Ali, a 33 year old Pakistani middle-order batter known for his power hitting, announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday, September 1, saying in a social media post that wearing the Pakistan jersey had been the "greatest honour" of his life. He said he would continue to play domestic cricket and take part in franchise leagues worldwide, and several Pakistani cricket bodies and teammates posted messages of thanks and good wishes after the announcement.

Asif made his international debut in 2018 after a breakout season for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League, which helped earn him a T20I call-up against the West Indies in April that year and an ODI debut two months later. Over a five year international span he featured in 21 ODIs and 58 T20Is, according to widely reported figures, scoring 382 runs in one-day internationals and 577 in T20 internationals. That aggregate is commonly reported as 959 international runs, though some accounts give slightly different innings figures.

His most celebrated moment came at the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup, when Pakistan needed 24 runs from 12 balls against Afghanistan and Asif produced a rapid 25 from seven...