The tall fast bowler from Pakistan, Mohammad Irfan, whose last international game for the national side came nearly five years ago, has finally decided to hang up his shoes as he confirmed the news in a post on ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter). However, his absence won’t be troubling the side significantly.
The 42-year-old pace bowler was recently representing the Khan Research Laboratories in the President’s Cup, a List-A competition in Pakistan. The left-arm pacer bowler, who was hailed to be one of the tallest bowlers of all time, represented the country 86 times across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, forming a key part of the national side in the mid-2010s.
Irfan was capable of generating high speeds with his height, making him a tough competitor for the best of the batting line-ups. Injuries, however, have been a huge part of his career. The 2015 ODI World Cup campaign for the speedster was curtailed by a pelvis stress fracture along with disciplinary issues.
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The Pakistan seamer served a six-month band after failing to report an approach from a bookmaker in 2017. When it comes to his performance, the Gaggu Mandi-born was part of just four Tests in his international career, picking up ten wickets at an average of 38.90.
Mohammad Irfan becomes third Pakistan player to retire in 24 hours
In the 50-over format, he collected 83 scalps in 60 innings at an average of around 30 and a strike rate of 37.4 with an economy rate of just under five, with a best bowling figure of 4/30 in an inning. Only 22 T20Is were possible in his short career, which saw him bagging 16 wickets at an average of 35.12 and an economy rate of 7.44.
However, the Pakistan pacer was a renowned name across the world in the 20-over leagues, where he picked up 161 wickets in 152 games of the 20-over format at an average of just below 24 and an economy rate of 6.68 with a strike rate of 21.2. The last international game for the bowler came in 2019 in November against Australia in a T20I clash at the Manuka Oval Canberra.
“I have decided to retire from international cricket. I want to express my deepest gratitude to my teammates and coaches. Thank you for the love, the cheers, and the unforgettable memories, and I will continue to support and celebrate the game that has given me everything.” The lanky fast bowler expressed in the post on ‘X’.
The 42-year-old joined the country’s other premier left-arm pacer, Mohammad Amir, and the spin all-rounder Imad Wasim to announce his retirement from Pakistan. One of the memorable moments for Irfan was against South Africa in 2013 when he grabbed the ‘Player of the Match’ award at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
The left-arm fast bowler claimed the wickets for a six-wicket victory, dismissing the former Protea captain, Graeme Smith, Colin Ingram, Ab De Villiers, and Faf Du Plessis in a fiery new-ball spell.
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The debut for the pace bowler in the T20Is was also a memorable one during their last bilateral trip to India in 2012 when he got the wicket of Virat Kohli in a miserly spell, which helped his side to get a five-wicket victory with two balls to spare in the case.
In 2018, the Pakistan fast bowler, playing for the Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League, ended with a figure of 2/1 in four overs, including three maidens, where he bowled 23 dot balls.
