Pakistan speedster Umar Gul has announced his retirement from professional and competitive cricket. He had represented Pakistan in 47 Tests, 130 ODIs and 60 T20Is. He had even represented Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), in 2008.
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Gul announced his decision following the National T20 Cup tie, after his side Balochistan lost to Southern Punjab, as a result, being eliminated from the tournament. Following the tie, he thanked his family, coaches and teammates, while he was also given a guard of honour by players from both sides.
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"It has been an honour to represent my club, city, province and country at various levels for two decades. I have thoroughly enjoyed my cricket, which has taught me the values of hard work, respect, commitment and determination," said Gul following the match, reports ESPNCricinfo.
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"During this journey, I have had the pleasure of meeting numerous people, who have helped and supported me in some way. I want to thank all those people, as well as my teammates and peers for their support. I owe a big thank you to the fans, who supported me throughout my journey. They have been an inspiration, especially at times when the going was not great," added Gul.
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"Lastly, I thank my family, for standing firmly behind me throughout my career and helping me to cherish my dreams, of not only playing cricket but travelling across the country and globe. They have sacrificed a lot, while I too have missed their presence and company," Gul continued.
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"I now look forward to spending valuable time with them, but it will be difficult to stay away from cricket, and I now look forward to giving back to the sport and the country that has made me one of the most fortunate people on the planet," he concluded.
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Gul had begun his domestic career with Peshawar, in 2003. While he had represented Pakistan in the 2002 ICC U-19 World Cup, he was called up to the senior national side, having played just nine First-Class matches. Overall, he has claimed 125 FC matches, claiming 279 wickets. In limited-overs, he played 213 List-A matches, claiming 286 wickets, besides playing 167 T20s and claiming 222 victims. He had also claimed 12 wickets in six IPL matches.
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As for international cricket, he made his debut in a quadrangular ODI series in Sharjah, in 2003. Since then, he has gone on to play numerous matches for the side. He has claimed 163 Test wickets, along with 179 in ODIs and 85 in T20Is. Although his prime was marred by injuries, especially between 2013-14, his come back in 2016 was brief, as he could barely impress the selectors with his performance.
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