Gul had announced prior to the start of the tournament that he would drawing curtains on his decade-and-a-half old career post the domestic T20 tournament.
A veteran of Pakistan cricket, Umar Gul made his ODI and Test debut against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe respectively in 2003 but it was his five-wicket-haul against a star-studded Indian batting line-up in Lahore during the 2004 series that shot the fast bowler into stardom.
But, it was his exploits in white-ball cricket and especially the shortest format of the game-Twenty20- that made Umar Gul one of the superstars of the modern era.Gul was the leading wicket-taker in both the 2007 (13 wickets in 7 games at an average of 11.92) and the triumphant 2009 T20 World Cup (13 wickets in 7 games at an average of 12.15).
Here’s what Umar Gul said on his retirement-
“I’d like to thank my coaches, teammates, seniors, staff, parents & my wife. All of my fans supported me so much & prayed for me. Throughout my career I made so many friends in Pakistan & other countries and I’d like to thank them for supporting me during my ups & downs” Umar Gul said.
“It’s difficult as it’s my passion & I don’t want to leave cricket, but everyone has to give up some day. All our past legends had to do this also & it’s a process. I would just like to wish our juniors best wishes & good luck & I hope they serve Pakistan well” he added.