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Mohammad Hafeez announces retirement from international cricket, netizens react

Mohammad Hafeez has been a prominent all-rounder for Pakistan cricket, specialising in the bat. He announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday morning. Here’s how Twitter reacted.

Mohammad Hafeez announces retirement from international cricket, netizens react-ayh
Author
Lahore, First Published Jan 3, 2022, 12:46 PM IST

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has announced his retirement from international cricket. His career spanned 18 years and represented the side across formats. Having made his debut in 2003, he had been an integral part of the Pakistani side, even winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2009 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Consequently, the netizens celebrated his outstanding career.

Hafeez announced the decision on Monday, stating that it has been an immense pride to play for his nation, having played with dignity for the last 18 years. He affirmed that he has always given his 100% and ensured that the flag of Pakistan kept rising high. He thanked everyone in the Pakistan team, management and his family for helping him out and supporting him during this period.

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“When you have a professional career as long as mine, you’re bound to have your share of highs and lows, and I was no different. Results apart, I can say with conviction that I had more highs as I had the privilege of playing with and against some of the finest exponents of the bat and the ball of my era,” Hafeez was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a release.

“While cricket has been a great learning school for me, this great sport has provided me opportunities to visit various countries, explore their cultures and make friends. These are lifelong memories, which I will cherish every day. I want to thank my fans and supporters for believing in my abilities and backing me throughout my career,” Hafeez concluded.

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Hafeez has represented Pakistan in more than 350 matches across formats, scoring more than 12,500 runs. He specialised in Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODIs). While he scored 3,652 in Tests at an average of 37.6, in the ODIs, it was 6,614 at 32.9. In the T20Is, he managed 2,514 at 26.5 and a strike rate of 122.0.

PCB chairman Ramiz Raja also applauded Hafeez’s glorious career by citing, “Hafeez has been a wholehearted cricketer who worked tirelessly at his game to have a long and fruitful career. His game evolved with time, adjusting to different formats quite intelligently. Later in his career, he became a T20 specialist, where he was never out of touch with the modern demands of this testing format. His batsmanship took a sprightly turn, nailing sixes almost at will.”

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