Asif Ali has announced his retirement from all levels of international cricket. The out-of-favour middle-order batsman last played for Pakistan in October 2023. He appeared in 21 One-Day Internationals and 58 Twenty20 Internationals between 2018 and 2023.
The 33-year-old recently revealed his decision via a social media post, expressing gratitude to Pakistan cricket. He mentioned that he intends to pursue cricket in both domestic and franchise leagues in the future.
“Today, I announce my retirement from international cricket. 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. I retire with immense gratitude and will continue to share my passion for the game by playing domestic and league cricket worldwide,” Asif posted on social media.
Asif Ali was called up to the T20I side against West Indies in April 2018 following a string of stellar outings for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
He made his ODI debut just two months later.
He was a victim of inconsistent selection despite occasional glimpses of excellence. Asif could come in late into the innings and act as a finisher in the 50-over format. At times, he was also pushed up the order in the same format. He averaged just over seven balls per innings in his 58 matches and finished unbeaten in around one-fourth of his T20I outings. The stat highlights how underused he was.
He has played across a variety of franchise leagues besides the PSL. Asif has represented franchises in the Big Bash League (BBL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Mzansi Super League and the Lanka Premier League (LPL). Overall, he scored 382 runs at an average of 25.46 and strike rate of 121.65 in 21 ODIs while he amassed 577 runs at a strike rate of 133.87 in 58 T20Is for Pakistan.
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