• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Pakistans One Match Wonder Retires From International Cricket Aged 37

Pakistan’s One-Match Wonder Retires From International Cricket Aged 37

Akshita Patel

Waqas Maqsood announces retirement [Source: @FahadFromPak/X.com]Waqas Maqsood announces retirement [Source: @FahadFromPak/X.com]

Pakistan cricket has seen many stars come and go, but few stories are as bittersweet as that of left-arm fast bowler Waqas Maqsood, who has now announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 37 after playing just one game for his country.

Maqsood is remembered as a true one-cap wonder. His only international game came in 2018, a T20I against New Zealand in the UAE. 

By then, Pakistan had already won the three-match series 2-0 under Sarfaraz Ahmed, so the final game was a chance to test the bench. Waqas and Usman Shinwari came into the team, replacing Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali.

Waqas Maqsood Takes Retirement After Long Absence

Pakistan batted first and posted 166-3, thanks to a classy 79 from Babar Azam and a quickfire 53 from Mohammad Hafeez*. In reply, New Zealand never really got going, though captain Kane Williamson fought hard with 60 off 38 balls. 

Waqas Maqsood bowled the 8th over of the chase, and it was a tough start as Williamson smashed him for three boundaries in a 15-run over. But cricket can turn quickly. 

When he returned later, Pakistan was already cruising to victory. He picked up two wickets, Lockie Ferguson and Seth Rance, to end with figures of 1.5 overs, 21 runs, 2 wickets. Pakistan won the game by 47 runs, sealing a 3-0 sweep. 

That turned out to be his only match for Pakistan. Despite never wearing the green shirt again, Waqas built a strong domestic career.

In 81 first-class matches, he claimed 294 wickets with 11 five-wicket hauls, including a remarkable 9-32 in 2017/18, the second-best first-innings figures in Pakistan’s domestic history. 

In white-ball cricket, he picked up 87 List A wickets and 77 T20 wickets, also featuring in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for Islamabad United and Karachi Kings.

Waqas last played domestic cricket in November 2023, and now, nearly two years later, he has officially called time on his career.

Interestingly, Usman Shinwari, the other fast bowler who debuted in that very game, also announced his retirement earlier this week.