Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez will retire from Test cricket after the ongoing third game against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi. The 38-year old informed the selectors about his decision, stating that he wants to focus and prolong his career in white-ball cricket.
Mohammad Hafeez returned to Pakistan’s Test team during the series against Australia in October in December. Hafeez was not a part of Pakistan’s original 17-man Test squad. However, he was added to the squad later on and totally justified the faith with a ton.
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Prior to the recall, his career was going through a tough phase in the last couple of years. He had fallen down the pecking order, his place in Pakistan’s central contracts was downgraded and a comeback to the national team was looking bleak. Following his ton against Australia, he had revealed that he was contemplating retirement.
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He, however, was convinced by his former teammate Shoaib Akhtar and wife to change his mind and carry on.
“I had a few problems in the last few months,” he had said. “I could have taken some steps, drastic. But I was stopped from taking them. I could have taken them, my wife stopped me. Shoaib Akhtar specially called me. And at that time I was thinking of drastic steps as I was very disturbed.
But since the knock, he failed to impress with the bat. Hafeez announced his decision after managing only 39 runs in four innings and going wicketless against New Zealand. In the first innings of the ongoing Test, he was out for a duck. So far, he has managed to score 3,644 Test runs with the help 10 tons and 12 fifties. With the ball, he has picked up 53 wickets so far.
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