Pakistan batter Azhar Ali has announced that he will retire from Test cricket after the third fixture against England in Karachi, starting December 17. Azhar bows out as Pakistan's fifth highest run-getter in the format, behind Younis Khan, Javed Miandad, Inzamam Ul Haq and Mohammad Yousuf. Heading into his final fixture, he has 7097 runs in 96 games at an average of 42.49.
PAKISTAN NEWS
Azhar Ali to retire from Tests after England series
The third Test in Karachi, starting on December 17, will be Azhar Ali's last in the format. © Getty
"It has been a great honour and privilege for me to represent my country at the highest level. Deciding on when to call it a day is always tough, but, after contemplating deeply, I realised that this is the right time for me to retire from Test cricket," Azhar said.
"I have been blessed to share the dressing room with some of the most outstanding cricketers with whom I share a strong bond. I feel much richer by calling these people my friends. I am also blessed to have played under some wonderful coaches to whom I will always remain grateful," he added.
The 37-year-old made his Test debut back in 2010 in a game against Australia at Lord's. The runs began to flow from just his second outing where he scored his first half-century. He went on to score 34 more fifties and 19 tons in the format. His highest Test score of 302 made him the only Pakistan batter to
