Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has announced his retirement from Test cricket. He is currently taking part in the ongoing 3rd Test of the series for Pakistan against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi. This will be his last appearance for the country in the longest format of the game.

Hafeez hasn’t had a great time in the ongoing series. He has scored just 39 runs in 4 innings so far. In the first innings of the third Test, the right-hander got out for a duck. On the eve of day 2, Mohammad Hafeez announced his retirement in the post-match press conference.

“I feel time is up. I am announcing my retirement and feel happy that I worked hard in my career. I feel like I’ve worked hard for past 15 years of my career. Thank you very much to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), they helped me in each and every step of my career. I would also like to thank all my teammates to whom I share the dressing room and the team management, who guided me throughout in this journey,” said Mohammad Hafeez on his retirement.

The focus is on ODI cricket

Hafeez is playing his 55th Test for Pakistan currently. So far, he has accumulated 3644 runs at an average of 38.35. He also has 10 centuries and 12 half-centuries to his name. The 38-year-old, who had made his Test debut way back in 2003 against Bangladesh in Karachi, will now focus solely on white ball cricket.

Earlier, his contract was downgraded from A to B by PCB. Now, with the all-important World Cup approaching in 2019 and the age catching up, Hafeez will hope to represent the side in the prestigious tournament for one last time.

Also Read: Gautam Gambhir announced retirement from cricket

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