assalamolaikum :jhanda:
reports bloomberg’s reporter Richard Sydenham.
Saeed Anwar, the Pakistan batsman who holds the record for the highest score in one-day international cricket, said he’s quitting after a 14-year career at the sport’s top level.
Saeed returned home Thursday after Pakistan was eliminated from the World Cup, days after losing to archrival India. The 34-year-old left-hander told Bloomberg News he’ll formally announce his retirement this week, after speaking with his family.
“I’ve played enough cricket and now it’s time to leave,” Saeed said in an interview. “It’s not good when people throw you out. I’m really contented because whatever I wanted from cricket I have achieved. We’ve been a tough unit and have won matches everywhere home and away.”
Saeed, whose 194 against India remains the best-ever individual score in one-day internationals, becomes the second high-profile cricketer to retire this weekend after South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald left the game yesterday. More may follow after their teams exit cricket’s most prestigious tournament.
Anwar also said he was honored to have played under Imran Khan’s captaincy in the early part of his career and with one-day cricket’s two most successful bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, the current captain of Pakistan.
Saeed made his international debut in a one-day match in January 1989 against then world champions West Indies, scoring three before being dismissed by fast bowler Malcolm Marshall. Overall, Saeed is the sixth-most prolific one-day batsmen with 8,823 runs at an average of 39.21 in 247 internationals.
In Test cricket, he scored two naughts on debut in November 1999, also against the West Indies, before going on to amass 4,052 runs at 45.52, including 11 centuries.
Saeed, who came into the World Cup without top-level cricket for five months, scored 101 against India eight days ago. It was his 20th one-day hundred but he finished on the losing side. He scored an unbeaten 40 in a rained out game against Zimbabwe on Tuesday in his final match.
“I scored a hundred in my last Test against Bangladesh and I was hoping it would keep raining against Zimbabwe so I would then have scored a century in my last one-day international also,” Saeed said. “But at least I was not out.”
A player who preferred an offensive approach to batting, Saeed said he enjoyed playing against India and Australia most.
“Saeed is an exceptional talent and will be missed by everybody that loves cricket,” Pakistan’s outgoing coach Richard Pybus said in an interview. “His contributions to Pakistan cricket off the field were always intelligent and insightful.”
Away from the cricket field, Saeed said he will follow his friends into business, probably importing and exporting garments.
“I don’t want to be involved in cricket,” Saeed said. “I’ve seen people in Pakistan who are hanging around in cricket and not having a good life.”
Saeed experienced personal tragedy nearly two years ago when his baby daughter died after illness. He has since dedicated his life to Islam.
“My priorities in life have changed over the last couple of years,” he said. “I now want to live a good religious life.”
, we all will miss you 
