Shoaib Akhtar to retire after World Cup

“Yes, I will retire from international cricket after the World Cup,” the 35-year-old told AFP.

I made this decision after much deliberation. Pakistan’s last match at this World Cup will also be my last. I hope it will be the final on April 2nd.”

Akhtar made the decision after Pakistan’s 110-run loss to New Zealand, in which he hit 70 runs over nine overs.

He was rested ahead of the match against Zimbabwe on Monday and was considered an unlikely starter in Saturday’s last Group A match against Australia.

Akhtar, who made his international debut in 1997, took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, the last of which was against India in Bangalore in 2007.

He is three wickets short of 250 in 163 one-day internationals and has taken 19 wickets in 15 Twenty20 internationals.

Members of the Pakistan national team hugged him in the dressing room on Thursday before captain Shahid Afridi hugged him as the players entered the R. Premadas Stadium for training.

Known as the “Rawalpindi Express” during his tearful days as one of the most feared, albeit unpredictable, talents in Test cricket, Akhtar once broke the 100 mph barrier at the 2003 World Cup.

In what was always supposed to be his swansong World Cup, Akhtar looked neat with numbers 0-10 and 2-42 against Kenya and Sri Lanka respectively.

He missed out on a victory over Canada and was beaten across the park at Pallekele against New Zealand by numbers 1-70 before being ruled out of the game against Zimbabwe.

But his career will forever be remembered for a series of health issues, discipline violations, as well as a doping offense that prevented him from realizing his true potential.

Akhtar and the now banned Mohammad Asif failed drug tests in 2006 and were suspended for two years and one year respectively, both of which were overturned on appeal.

Fitness problems forced him to miss the 2007 World Championships while he was heavily fined and suspended for 13 ODIs after hitting Asif with a bat two days before the 2007 Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa.