Pakistan Players Who Reversed Retirement

Mohammad Amir, Imran Khan, and Shahid Afridi (Source: AFP)

Pakistan cricket is renowned for producing numerous mercurial talents, raw pace, and masters of unconventional spin. Since gaining ICC Full Membership in 1952, the country has been an international powerhouse, highlighted by victories in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, the 2009 T20 World Cup, and the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.

Over the years, many players have gone on to make the nation proud on the world stage. On the other hand, several top Pakistan players have decided to hang up their boots, only to backtrack and return.

Along the same lines, in this article, take a look at a list of Pakistan players who came out of retirement to serve the country.

List of Pakistan Players who Reversed their Retirement

6) Imad Wasim

On March 23, 2024, all-rounder Imad Wasim made himself available for T20I selection, withdrawing his retirement from the format.

In a statement on social media, Imad Wasim said he was delighted to declare his "availability for Pakistan cricket in T20I format leading up to ICC T20 World Cup 2024".

Though he was one of the tournament's most economical bowlers, finishing with an impressive economy rate of 4.00, his tournament was hampered by a rib injury, and Pakistan suffered an early group-stage exit.

5) Wahab Riaz

Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz came out of his international retirement for a brief, one-match stint before re-retiring on August 16, 2023.

In reality, the announcement was a formality, as Wahab had not played an international match for Pakistan in over two years, last appearing in a couple of white-ball games at the end of 2020.

In March 2025, the former Pakistan pacer made the headlines for “un-retiring” only for one game in a Lahore Region Cricket Association trial match at the Aligarh Ground.

4) Mohammad Amir

One of the deadliest and most skilled left-arm fast bowlers in modern cricket, Mohammad Amir, returned from retirement in 2024 to represent Pakistan at the T20 World Cup.

Also read: Pakistan's 2017 Champions Trophy Winning Team And Where Are They Now?

Before the announcement, Amir's last match for Pakistan was a T20I against England in 2020, and he retired from international cricket in December that year, saying he felt mentally tortured.

Amir's retirement reversal came a day after allrounder Imad Wasim reversed his retirement and also made himself available for selection for the T20 World Cup.

3) Imran Khan

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan famously reversed his initial retirement from international cricket to lead Pakistan to their historic victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

After bowing out of Test cricket following the 1987 series against England, Khan was convinced by Pakistan’s President to come out of retirement and lead in the coveted tournament.

He returned as captain and guided a struggling squad to their first-ever World Cup triumph, defeating England in the final, before officially ending his cricket career for good on March 25, 1992.

2) Javed Miandad

After finding himself dropped from the side in 1994, Javed Miandad decided to bid farewell to cricket. "No Miandad, No Cricket," wailed cricket fans as the country's Prime Minister at the time.

However, just days after, he revoked his decision following the intervention of then-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, making himself available for the 1996 World Cup.

1) Shahid Afridi: The undisputed KING of retirement withdrawals

Shahid Afridi's frequent retirement reversals are a legendary running joke in cricket history. Over his international career that spanned across 2 decades, he announced his retirement five times across different formats, ultimately returning four times before playing his final international match on May 31, 2018.  

Afridi finished his international career having played 27 Test matches, during which he scored 1,176 runs with a highest score of 156 and took 48 wickets. 

In the 398 ODIs that he played throughout his career, he notched up 8,064 runs, with a highest score of 124, and took 395 wickets with his leg spin. Lastly, in the shortest format of the game, he played 99 T20Is, scoring 1416 runs and taking 98 wickets. 

Another prominent Pakistan player who returned to action after an almost-retirement

On June 18, 2026, former Pakistan captain Nida Dar announced her return to professional cricket, more than a year after taking an indefinite break from the sport.

"After taking time to focus on myself and regain my strength, I am happy to share that I am back and available for the Pakistan Cricket Team once again," Dar posted on X.

39-year-old Nida Dar, a veteran of 112 ODIs and 160 T20Is, announced in April 2025 that she would take a break from the sport to focus on her well-being, citing mental health reasons.

Also read: Harshit Rana Back, Ishan Kishan Out? India's Predicted Playing XI Vs Afghanistan, 3rd ODI- 2026