Out of favor Pakistani cricketer, Fawad Alam, has decided to call time on his illustrious 15-year-long international career. The 36-year-old batter, who turns 37 in October, will now be seen in action for the Chicago Kingsmen in the Minor League Cricket T20, a tournament affiliated with USA’s recently concluded flagship T20 competition, Major League Cricket (MLC). Alam’s move to the USA adds his name to the list of Pakistan players, including Sami Aslam, Hammad Azam, Saif Badar, and Mohammad Mohsin, who have sought new opportunities across the Atlantic.
Go well, @iamfawadalam25!
Fawad Alam has reportedly retired from Pakistan cricket to pursue a career in the USA! As per @cricbuzz, he is currently playing as a local player for Chicago Kingsmen in Minor League Cricket. #PakCricket pic.twitter.com/WrQimffzyo
— Rai M. Azlan (@Mussanaf) August 8, 2023
Though Fawad Alam made his white-ball debut for Pakistan in 2007, his presence in the national team has been sporadic at best. Despite impressively scoring a century on his Test debut in 2009, he faced an unfortunate drop from the team merely a couple of Tests later. Despite consistently amassing runs with an astonishing average of 55 in domestic cricket, he had to wait 11 years for another Test opportunity, which came as a turning point in his career in 2020. He vindicated his selection with a remarkable century in New Zealand during his third match post-comeback. Further, he proved his worth with centuries against South Africa, West Indies, and Zimbabwe.
However, Alam’s unorthodox batting technique was exposed during Pakistan’s series against Australia in early 2022. Struggling to perform on relatively benign pitches, he managed only 33 runs in four innings and was subsequently dropped after a Test against Sri Lanka in July 2022. Despite being a part of Pakistan’s triumphant 2009 T20 World Cup-winning squad, Alam could only secure 11 more T20I appearances after the championship victory. In his Pakistan career, he played 19 Tests, 38 ODIs, and 24 T20Is, showcasing his brilliance with five Test centuries and a solitary ODI century against Sri Lanka in the 2014 Asia Cup.
Throughout his career, Fawad Alam’s non-selection in Tests, coupled with his unconventional batting style, triggered extensive debates and differing opinions in Pakistan cricket circles for nearly a decade. Former players and media fervently advocated for his inclusion in the national team as he consistently piled on runs in the Qaid-e-Azam Trophy season after season. Now, as he departs from the international arena, Fawad Alam leaves behind a legacy of over 14,000 runs in domestic cricket, amassed through 201 first-class games over a remarkable 19-year career. With this new chapter in the Minor League Cricket T20, cricket fans in the USA eagerly await the display of Fawad Alam’s undeniable talent on the American cricketing stage.
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