Pakistan's 33-year-old batter Asif Ali announces retirement from international cricket

Asif Ali played 21 ODIs and 58 T20Is for Pakistan from 2018 to 2023.

Pakistani big-hitting batter Asi Ali has called time on his international cricket career on September 2, 2025. He made the announcement on social media with a heartfelt post.

Asif Ali had made his Pakistan debut in 2018 and went on to play 21 ODIs and 58 T20Is. He scored 382 ODI runs with three fifties to his name at an average of 25.46. In T20Is, Ali made 577 runs with a strike rate of 133.87 and a best score of 41*.

Asif made his debut for Pakistan against the West Indies in a T20I match played in Karachi on April 1, 2018. And he played his final game for his country against Bangladesh in Hangzhou on October 7, 2023.

“Wearing the Pakistan jersey has been the greatest honor 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 said.

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Asif Ali retires, leaving Pakistani fans with memories of the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2022 Asia Cup

Asif Ali was used primarily as a finisher as evident from his strike rates of 133.87 in T20Is and 121.65 in ODIs. He had his standout moments for the Pakistan team, with two of them still etched in the memories of the fans.

The first moment was his fiery cameo against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2021 match. Pakistan needed 24 runs in 12 overs against Afghanistan to confirm their spot in the semi-final. Asif Ali hammered four sixes in the 19th over, bowled by Karim Janat, scoring 25 in just 7 balls and taking Pakistan into the semi.

Then in the Asia Cup 2022, in a tense clash with India, Asif Ali blasted an eight-ball 16 in a tense chase to take Pakistan past the finishing line, chasing the target of 182 in the last over.

Before making a few appearances for a backup Pakistani team at the 2023 Asian Games, he made his final official appearance for the Pakistani team against India at the MCG in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

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