Shahzeb Bhatti announced retirement from professional cricket

LAHORE: Young Pakistani spinner Shahzeb Bhatti has announced his retirement from professional cricket at the age of 24.

Renowned Pakistani cricketer Shahzeb Bhatti has announced his retirement from professional cricket at the age of 24, saying that he decided to quit the game due to politics, corruption and the poor structure of domestic cricket.

Shahzeb Bhatti is a domestic cricketer from Sialkot. He is known as a right-arm spin bowler and is also helpful in the lower order with batting. He was seen as an emerging talent in Pakistan’s domestic cricket.

He first showed his potential in late 2024. In his second first-class match, Shahzeb Bhatti impressed everyone by taking five wickets and emerged as a player to be reckoned with.

His most memorable moment came in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in January 2025. Representing Sialkot, he scored 40 runs in the first innings. He later played a crucial innings of 32 not out to lead the team to a one-wicket victory.

However, Bhatti’s career suddenly slowed down after this. He did not play any first-class matches for Sialkot for 14 months. This raised questions among fans as to why such a talented player was not getting opportunities.

In October 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced 157 domestic contracts, but Bhatti’s name was not included in the list, which was another setback for him.