Oldest international centurion and UAE's greatest cricketer Khurram Khan takes final bow
The most successful batsman in the history of UAE cricket, Khurram Khan, has retired from international cricket at the age of 43. The announcement came right after UAE lost to Ireland by an innings and 26 runs in the first round of the ICC Intercontinental Cup match.
After having played 16 ODIs, scoring 582 runs at an average of 41.57, with one century and three half-centuries and taking 12 wickets with his left-arm spin, Khurram Khan has decided to call it a day. In 2014, Khurram Khan had become the oldest player to score an ODI century, making an unbeaten 132 against Afghanistan in Dubai. By reaching this feat at the age of 43, he had broken Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya's earlier standing record by nearly four years.
Khurram Khan was also the leading run scorer in the ICC Cricket World Cup qualifiers in 2014. His fiery 581 runs at a staggering average of 72.62 assured UAE a spot in the league matches of the World Cup for only the second time in their cricketing history.
He led the team for ten years, being relieved of his duties ahead of the 2015 World Cup.and allowed to serve as Mohammad Tauqir's deputy. After the end of his last international match against Ireland, Emirates Cricket Board tweeted their tribute to Khurram Khan, calling him the 'Gentleman of UAE Cricket'.
Born and raised in Pakistan, Khan had moved to the UAE in 1999 to work for Emirates Airlines as a flight purser and made his debut two years later during the ICC Trophy in Canada – a foundation of a great cricket career from the unfancied Arab nation.
Khan leaves the cricket field having established a reputation of having been one of the best ever cricketers from ICC’s associate nations.