Mohammad Hafeez feels 'time is up', announces retirement from Test cricket

E-Paper | March 10, 2026

Mohammad Hafeez feels 'time is up', announces retirement from Test cricket

AFP Published December 4, 2018

Mohammad Hafeez announces retirement from Test cricket during a press conference at the Sheikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. —AFP

Mohammad Hafeez leaves the ground after his dismissal during the second day of the third and final Test. —AFP

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Struggling Pakistan opener Mohammad Hafeez said on Tuesday he was retiring from Test cricket after the ongoing third and final match against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi.

The 38-year-old has managed just 66 runs in seven innings since scoring a hundred against Australia in Dubai last month following his recall to five-day cricket.

The Abu Dhabi Test is Hafeez's 55th since making his debut against Bangladesh in Karachi in 2003. He has so far scored 3,644 runs with 10 centuries and 12 half centuries.

"I feel time is up," said Hafeez. "I am announcing my retirement and feel happy that I worked hard in my career."

A few months back Hafeez had decided to announce his retirement from cricket but wife Nazia and former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar stepped in to persuade him he still had a role to play.

Hafeez was dropped from the Test side after faring poorly in the first three matches of Pakistan's series in England two years ago, before being recalled for series against Australia in October.

He celebrated his recall with a century in the first Test against Australia in October and later revealed that his wife had persuaded him not to quit the sport.

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M.Saeed

Dec 04, 2018 07:11pm

He is naturally a T20 and marginally an ODI player.

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Omar

Dec 04, 2018 07:12pm

Score a century then a long drought . That pretty much summed up his mediocre cricket career.

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fairplay

Dec 04, 2018 07:17pm

timely and appropriate from the Professor. thanks for your service to the country.

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Ali

Dec 04, 2018 07:19pm

Don't need to announce it - your absence will not be felt.

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Real salaria

Dec 04, 2018 07:20pm

Good decision.

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Masood

Dec 04, 2018 07:29pm

Sorry to hear about your retirement news. You have decided the right time. Instead of PCB push you out. You went own your own. SO congratulations and enjoy the now free time with your family and teach the young kids for the future. Best of luck

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Khalid Naseem

Dec 04, 2018 07:30pm

Better late than never. The writing was on the wall for this cricketer of 38+ who excelled in ODI''s but not really in test matches. He will however prove to be a good coach for the youngsters.

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Sarai Alamgir

Dec 04, 2018 07:31pm

Thanks for your service, the decision is around 3 years too late, but still. You can do what Malik is doing, concentrate on T20 and ODI, and now help the team bring the cup home in the summer.

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Justicefirst

Dec 04, 2018 07:36pm

Good luck.

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MD aiyaz

Dec 04, 2018 07:40pm

Finally.... He was always a bits and pieces player.... Good talent but poor technique.... Should have quit atleast 3 years back.... Der aaye durust aaye

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Rayan

Dec 04, 2018 07:42pm

Good decision, albeit 5 years too late.

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Adnan Mazher Khan

Dec 04, 2018 07:50pm

Good timely decison. Wish him success in future life.

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Desi

Dec 04, 2018 08:00pm

A very good decision. But it would have been much better if he had retired after he scored the century against Australia. That way he would have left on top instead of now, after successive failures.

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Pak-UK

Dec 04, 2018 08:05pm

Very sensible. He can contribute in lower order in limited overs. Imam and Asif’s performance is also very ordinary too.. they should be dropped as well. Fakhar should open with some other young opener with good domestic record. I personally think Hussain Talat is could be a good batsman in odi and test. And why not bring Akmal and Shahzad back. Shahzad hasn’t got that bad test record as a test opener.

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PHILOSOPHER (FROM JAPAN)

Dec 04, 2018 08:05pm

Thanks for your services. Please don't intend to take this decision back in any case. Good decision though.

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beiging

Dec 04, 2018 08:14pm

Unsung hero. His magic deliveries can still win world cup next year. Class apart magic. Thanks sarfarz for preseving his bowling in Test series.

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Hope.

Dec 04, 2018 08:15pm

A gentleman of the sport, a patriot, you will be missed.

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Freebird

Dec 04, 2018 08:15pm

Why man why! Very sad moment

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Salman

Dec 04, 2018 08:38pm

Alhamdulillah.

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Sayyar Khan

Dec 04, 2018 08:39pm

Retire from Test only please. You should have retired when you decided.

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Omar

Dec 04, 2018 08:50pm

His time should have been up from Test cricket 10 years ago!

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Rajesh

Dec 04, 2018 08:53pm

Good luck for the future.

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Munnabhai LLB

Dec 04, 2018 08:53pm

Well played but didnt do justice to the real talent

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Umair Karim

Dec 04, 2018 09:00pm

nice decision as the next series is where Dale Styne lives.

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Dec 04, 2018 09:42pm

Thank you!

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Waseem

Dec 04, 2018 09:43pm

His future can only thrive on subcontinent pitches and that to in T20 where flaw in technique dont really matter..He is also a miss and hit in the ODI format. PCB should make it mandatory for every batsmen to maintain and decent average as a pretext for selection. This will help selectors select players based on thier performances rather than nepotism. Hafeez has been a liability on the team for quite sometime..he should just be used for T20s being played in subcontinent pitches.

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Amir

Dec 04, 2018 09:46pm

thank you very much for serving the country for so long. best of luck in shorter formats

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ghalib

Dec 04, 2018 09:59pm

Hafeez who?

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Kamran

Dec 04, 2018 10:21pm

No way, Dale Stayne waiting for him in South Africa to improve his record.

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Anti-Corruption_Pakistani

Dec 04, 2018 10:28pm

Good move, give youngsters' a chance!

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Waqas

Dec 04, 2018 10:34pm

Dale Steyn will be a very sad man!!!

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Aslam

Dec 04, 2018 10:34pm

@M.Saeed, IN current pakistan everyone is only T20.No one can win you One day or test matches

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Orakzai

Dec 04, 2018 11:06pm

I feel you are the worst cricketer in Pakistan team.

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Theossa USA

Dec 04, 2018 11:09pm

Thanks! Could u plead take Imam with u?

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Adil

Dec 04, 2018 11:11pm

The right decision though the right time was 10 years ago.

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jaredlee007

Dec 04, 2018 11:40pm

This is what happens when you rely on others for making your own decisions. His retirement earlier would have been more meaningful. Now, it is obvious he is frustrated and so are others. Anyways, let's close this chapter and find a young lad who focuses on performing and performing!

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RIZ

Dec 04, 2018 11:42pm

He is in good form in T20 and somewhat in ODI because started playing attacking cricket so if he will be keep playing like this and here and there gives some help in bowling he can play in 2019 WC and should retire from international cricket after this. Enjoy T20 leagues like Shahid Afridi.

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Khurram

Dec 04, 2018 11:46pm

Please don’t do an Afridi on your retirement

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Shaibaaz

Dec 04, 2018 11:56pm

By & large an average player with few flashes in the pan...

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Pakistani

Dec 05, 2018 01:12am

Our nation lacks the understanding of retirement in general. There is a right time and one must know is intutively to let oneself rid of later humiliation in case he/she decides otherwise.

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Amjad

Dec 05, 2018 02:12am

This guy is not international class. He has failed on so many occasions but is given more chances. Give new players a chance

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Akbar

Dec 05, 2018 02:32am

Kind of selfish of Hafeez to quit now. On this tour Pak selected should have pick a player for the future instead of Hafeez. Then in Pakistan cricket individual feats means more to the players than playing for Pakistisn. It would have been nice to try new players for the future tour of SA. Hafeez you have just wasted everybody time, good riddance and don't bother about the ODI's.

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Ghouse

Dec 05, 2018 02:40am

I have been hearing about his age as 38 for the last 8 years! Because of people like Him and Shoaib Malik,the newcomers don't start Cricket in the National Team till they are in their 30's and then they stick around for 10-15 years.

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Faisal

Dec 05, 2018 02:54am

Then why we have been playing him in home tests? we should have been grooming someone else. he knew he wont survive in South Africa. He will be retiring from ODI and T20 soon as well.

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Dec 05, 2018 03:21am

Finally. Please retire from all forms and do Pakistan Cricket a favor please.

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Marcus

Dec 05, 2018 04:04am

He wasn’t corrupt and played to the best of his abilities nice bloke. He shud be thanked and wished good luck.

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Qasim

Dec 05, 2018 04:27am

Should have retired after the last test on a high note , thts alright never too late . Enjoy your retirement and thanks for your services for the country .

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Texan

Dec 05, 2018 04:34am

Its not Hafeez's fault. Its the think tank who thinks that he has the technique of an opening batsman! Its almost a crime to play him against any decent swing bowling with the new ball. How did he play 15 years, made it back in the team and how coaches kept playing him as an opener demands a JIT inquiry. He is an average allrounder who is good for T20 type cricket only.

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Yousuf

Dec 05, 2018 05:42am

Its unfortunate he scored the century against Australia - otherwise they might have dropped him right away and prepared a youngster for the role. Now they are planning to visit South Africa and have no decent opener at all as Imam is turning out to be as bad as Hafeez. Azhar Ali will probably have to open in South Africa which means they still don't have another decent opener or number 3

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Concerned Citizen , USA

Dec 05, 2018 05:48am

Cricket is entertainment first, a sport later. If it was not entertaining, no one would watch or play. Hafeez was fun to watch in or out of form. You cannot say that about a lot of players. Do you find Asad Shafique's batting fun to watch? I don't. Him and Imam are the one's that need to be shown the door. Imam is averaging under 14 in this series, and he is at the beginning of his career. Do you think he belongs in the team? If it wasn't for his uncle.....

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Ali

Dec 05, 2018 06:16am

It is smart to retire on top before embarrassing oneself. 38 is old in his profession.

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Suchbaath

Dec 05, 2018 06:25am

Overdue decision but a good one.

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Shevo Mal

Dec 05, 2018 07:52am

Great work done by Hafeez

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Mohsin Khan

Dec 05, 2018 08:02am

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!! Mickey was right

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Umer

Dec 05, 2018 08:58am

Ptv sports persons extended his carrier lk lateef waseem etc otherwise was failure as batsman n pakistan had never shortage of bowlers ...........................................................................................................

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Umer

Dec 05, 2018 09:00am

Ptv sports made him batsman otherwise he was failure as batsman from 2005 n pak never was short of bowlers

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Ali Vaqar Awan

Dec 05, 2018 09:57am

Professor was never a test level player given his stats and recent performance. He is 38 so he has left few years of cricket in him. Also back up should be looked up. He should focus on T20 and ODI. Right step he took to retire from test match, otherwise he would have been forced to retire.

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Aatvi Fail

Dec 05, 2018 10:44am

The time is long passed.

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DK PAMNANI

Dec 05, 2018 01:17pm

Announcing retirement at this age is also be considered as service to the national cricket.

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JackJones

Dec 05, 2018 01:17pm

That is probably best for Hafeez and Pakistan though I would say this should have happened a few years back. Not happy with Shoaib Akhtar as he announced Hafeez’s plan to retire before Hafeez which is not good professionalism and friendship on his part. Hafeez is not a test batsman and cannot handle the moving ball. Maybe it is a good opportunity for Fawad Alam or another opener to be given an opportunity. In a way I am glad Hafeez is not going to SA because he cannot handle Dale Stein. Maybe it is time to change both openers as Imam’s performance has been questionable too.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Dec 05, 2018 02:42pm

Although somewhat late, great decision by the so-called greenshirt professor. Now, he can fully focus on T/20 and ODI cricket for his team, which has been his speciality since day one.

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SHAH S

Dec 05, 2018 10:28pm

@M.Saeed, WHAT ??? He is nothing.. He should do something else for a change instead of clinging on to cricket; Maybe play ping pong...

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SHAH S

Dec 05, 2018 10:29pm

@fairplay, What service to country ???? He deprived other young player the slot to play for Pakistan; He is a selfish crook;

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SHAH S

Dec 05, 2018 10:29pm

@Ali, YES … so correctly said;