"I am not feeling the same excitement"- Asad Shafiq retires from international cricket; set to become Pakistan selector

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

Shafiq led the Karachi Whites to the National T20 Cup title and felt that it was the right time to call it quits following the nine-run triumph over Abbottabad in the final. He also made a revelation that the Pakistan Cricket Board has offered him a contract, which he is currently 'looking at'.

At the post-match press conference, Asad Shafiq was quoted as saying by the Hindu:

"I am not feeling the same excitement and passion playing cricket and neither do I have the same fitness levels required for international cricket. Which is why I have decided to say goodbye to all cricket. I have got the contract from the board and I am looking at it and hopefully it will be processed soon."

Shafiq, 37, represented Pakistan across all three formats at the international level, including 60 ODIs and 10 T20Is.

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Asad Shafiq felt it was time for the youngsters

Asad Shafiq did try his best to get back into the Pakistan Test team's scheme of things but realized that he wasn't in the reckoning. He feels that if he steps aside, another youngster could get an opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing for Pakistan.

Shafiq was quoted as saying, via the aforementioned source:

"After being dropped in 2020 I kept on playing domestic cricket for three years yes in the hope of getting another crack at the Pakistan team. But before the start of this season I had decided this would be my last season because I felt that closing in on 38 years of age this was time to retire instead of people telling me to step down."

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