Hafeez to retire from Test cricket after ongoing Abu Dhabi game

ESPNCricinfo: Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez, 38, will retire from Test cricket after the ongoing third game against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi, having informed chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq that he wants to focus on his limited-overs career. “Today, I want to announce my retirement from the Test-match format so that I can focus my energies on playing for Pakistan in the white-ball formats,” Hafeez said after the second day’s play. “I am eyeing to represent Pakistan in the ICC World Cup next year. I feel honoured that I represented the country in 55 Test matches, including the opportunity of captaining the team. I feel satisfied that I performed to the best of my abilities in my 15 year-long Test career.

“I wish the Test team the very best for their upcoming assignments starting with the tour to South Africa, the team management especially the coach and captain have worked very hard in forming an exciting core of players that can serve for long.”

PCB chairman Ehsan Mani paid tribute to Hafeez, saying his contribution in Test cricket “will be remembered for a long time.”

“Hafeez gave some memorable and matching-winning performances for Pakistan in the Test match format,” Mani said. “He lent great balance to the XI with his bowling abilities.”

One of the longest-serving international cricketers left in the game, Hafeez made his debut in both Test and ODI cricket in 2003. He marked his international debut with a half-century in a seven-wicket win against Sri Lanka in Sharjah that April, in Pakistan’s first ODI since their disappointing showing at the 2003 World Cup. In all he made 10 Test hundreds in his 15-year career, all of them coming in Asian conditions, including a best of 224 against Bangladesh in Khulna in 2015. His highest score elsewhere was a hard-fought 95 against England at The Oval in 2006 that would surely have set his team up for victory but for the subsequent forfeiture of the match due to a ball-tampering furore.