Munaf Patel hangs up his boots
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||Desk Report||
Indian pacer Munaf Patel has decided to call it quits from all forms of cricket, at the age of 35. He has played 86 international matches for India across formats, picking up 125 wickets.
Munaf was a regular member of the Indian national team at the ICC World Cup in 2011. In eight matches, he took 11 scalps and formed an effective partnership with the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament, Zaheer Khan, in India's pace attack.
“There is no regret; after all the cricketers I played with have retired,” Munaf was quoted as saying by the Indian Express. “Only Dhoni is left! So, there is no sadness as such. Everyone's time is up; I would have been sad had others been playing and I had quit.
“There is no special reason, age is not on my side, and fitness is not the same. Youngsters are there waiting for chances and it doesn't look nice if I keep hanging on. The main thing is there is no motivation left. I was part of World Cup winning team in 2011; there can't be a greater high than that.”
The right-handed pacer’s last international appearance dates back to September 2011, when India toured England. He last featured in a competitive match while playing for Gujarat Lions in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year.
Munaf played for Rajasthan Royals when they won the inaugural IPL title and was a member of the Mumbai Indians team when they completed the double of winning the IPL and the Champions League T20.
The Gujarat-born bowler has been drafted to play in the T10 league this year alongside other Indian pacers – RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, and Zaheer. He will play for Rajputs in the tournament, scheduled to run between 21 November and 2 December.
