KARACHI, 16 August 2003 — Sidelined Pakistan opening batsman Saeed Anwar announced his retirement from all cricket yesterday.
“I am happy that I am leaving the game when many people feel I can still play on for another two years. But I have also been disheartened by the selectors’ decision to ignore me after the World Cup,” Anwar told a news conference. The 34-year-old attacking left-hander ended a 15-year career with 4,052 runs at a world-class average of 45.52 in 55 Tests and 8,823 runs, averaging 39.21, in 247 One-Day Internationals.
A fine driver of the ball, he made 11 centuries in Tests and 20 in one-dayers.
He also holds the record for the highest individual score in a One-Day International, 194 against India at Madras in 1997.
Anwar’s decision came two months after former teammate Wasim Akram announced his retirement from international cricket.
He and Wasim were among eight senior players dropped after Pakistan failed to qualify for the second stage of this year’s World Cup. Despite struggling increasingly with long-term knee problems Anwar, sporting a thick beard, was the only Pakistani batsman to score a hundred in the tournament, making 103 in the defeat against India.
He had said he hoped to play for two more years. “But the board and selectors felt otherwise. I don’t have any grievances against them. But yes, their decision to ignore me after the World Cup has influenced me somewhat.” Anwar, who forged a fine opening partnership with Aamer Sohail for Pakistan, became a devout Muslim after the death of his infant daughter in August 2001 and took a break from the game. His career was tainted by controversy as one of five players fined by a Pakistan match-fixing commission for not cooperating with their investigations.
“I regret taking part in the rebellion against Wasim Akram’s captaincy in 1994 and I also regret that the Justice Malik Qayyum match-fixing inquiry commission fined me three years back although it found no evidence of me being involved in match-fixing,” he said.
Anwar had begun his Test career inauspiciously, with a pair on his debut against the West Indies in 1989 at Faisalabad. His last Test innings, however, provided the perfect send-off, a century against Bangladesh at Multan in August 2001. Anwar described his hundred against India in the Asian Test Championship at Calcutta in 1999 as his most memorable innings, adding he had particularly enjoyed his battles with Australians Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.
“When you are in form you can play any bowler. But these two bowlers, they were very aggressive and competitive, and I enjoyed the challenge of scoring runs against them.” “I played for Pakistan with pride and want to be remembered as a good and decent player,” said Anwar.
A computer engineer by qualification, and a Wisden player of the year in 1997, Anwar will be remembered as a gracefully compelling player on the international stage who thrived on sheer timing and placements.
Anwar said he was disappointed that he did not get the farewell he deserved after being dropped from the national squad over its abysmal showing in the World Cup, despite being the team’s top run getter and scoring a century against India.
