Asad Shafiq announced his retirement from cricket on Sunday (December 10). He announced his decision after leading Karachi to victory in the final of the National T20 Cup. Karachi defeated Abbottabad by nine runs to clinch the title.

Veteran batsman Asad Shafiq has announced his retirement from all forms of competitive cricket and also hinted that he might become a national selector for the Pakistan cricket team.

Shafiq led the Karachi Whites to the National T20 Cup title and felt it was the right time to call it a day after their nine-run triumph over Abbottabad in the final. He also revealed that the Pakistan Cricket Board had offered him a contract, which he is currently "reviewing".

Shortly after the end of the game, Asad Shafique announced his retirement in a speech at the post-game award ceremony. The former Pakistan batsman said that he doesn't feel the same excitement as a player and that this played an important role in his decision. He also stated that he had been hoping for a recall from the Pakistan team for the past few years.

“I don’t feel the same excitement and passion while playing cricket and I also don’t have the same fitness levels required for international cricket. Therefore, I have decided to say goodbye to all cricket,” PTI quoted Asad Shafique as saying after the match press conference.

“After being dropped in 2020, I continued playing domestic cricket for three years in the hope of getting another break in the Pakistan team “When I was older, it was time for me to retire rather than someone told me to stand down,” the batsman added.

Shafiq played 77 Test matches for Australia in which he scored 4660 runs and had up to 12 Test centuries to his name. His last international appearance came against England in August 2020, where he scored a total of 26 runs as Pakistan drew the final Test and lost the three-match series 1-0.