31-year-old left-arm Pakistani pacer Usman Shinwari has made the official announcement of his retirement from international cricket. He played for Pakistan from 2013 to 2019, earning himself a single Test, 17 ODIs, and 16 T20Is under his belt. Shinwari became familiar name at the age of only 19 when he tore apart Misbah-ul-Haq's Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in the departmental T20 Cup final. His mesmerizing spell of 5 for 9 in a mere 3.1 overs attracted national selectors and resulted in his being given a fast-tracked opportunity to represent Pakistan in December 2013 against Sri Lanka. Although his T20I debut was a disappointment, giving away nine runs without a wicket in one over, he soon caught up with his potential in ODIs. In his second ODI, against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in October 2017, Shinwari came up with a match-winning spell of 5 for 34. What made the performance stand out was that his five wickets were achieved in 21 consecutive balls. He did it again in September 2019 in Karachi, against Sri Lanka, when he took another five-wicket haul in what proved to be his second last ODI. Also Read | Watch: Suryakumar Yadav Warns Pakistan Ahead of Asia Cup 2025 Clash Injuries and Final Years Despite his early promise, Shinwari’s career was often interrupted by recurring back injuries, which prevented him from becoming a regular in the team. His only Test appearance came in December 2019 in Rawalpindi against Sri Lanka, which also ended up being his last international match. Throughout the formats, Shinwari took 34 wickets in ODIs and 13 in T20Is, frequently making batters uncomfortable with his swing and seam. He was also included in Pakistan's 2018 Asia Cup squad. For domestic cricket, Shinwari continued to turn out and last appeared in the Pakistan National T20 Cup, playing for Quetta Region, though he remained wicketless in four games. Although his career abroad failed to live up to expectations, Shinwari will be remembered for his aggressive speed and two exemplary five-wicket performances against Sri Lanka. His career is a story of the promise as well as the woes of fast bowlers struggling with injuries.