'I wasn't able to match intensity of first-class cricket' - Faiz Fazal recalls sequence of events leading to his retirement

Faiz Fazal, the former Vidarbha captain, recently announced his retirement from professional cricket after a career spanning 21 years. Despite the emotional decision, Fazal looks back on his journey with pride and satisfaction, having achieved numerous milestones and leaving a lasting impact on Vidarbha cricket.

Throughout the Ranji Trophy season, Fazal battled excruciating pain, a constant companion that eventually dictated his decision to retire. The toll of injuries, particularly a nagging knee issue, had become too burdensome to ignore.

Fazal's retirement comes as Vidarbha is taking on Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 semi-finals. The 38-year-old had been struggling with a left knee injury for over a year, which hampered his pre-match preparation and made it difficult to match the intensity of first-class cricket. After undergoing surgery and various treatments, Fazal realized it was time to call it quits.

Also read: Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy winning skipper Faiz Fazal draws curtains on 21-year cricket career

Whichever game I would play next, I'll call it a day after that: Faiz Fazal

His illustrious career came to an end in the Ranji's final league fixture against Haryana. Though not a fairy tale ending in terms of performance, with Fazal registering scores of 1 and 0, he found solace and satisfaction in his decision, looking back with no regrets. 

Fazal's decision to retire was not easy, as he admits, "Every time I used to go into bat after a break, like lunch or tea, I wasn't able to match the intensity of first-class cricket. This affected my form and the selectors felt I needed to be given a break because I was rusty. I don't know if I was rusty or not, but I had to sit out. At that point I decided whichever game I would play next; I'll call it a day after that. It so happened that that game happened to be our final league fixture of the season," he was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Fazal shared the physical and emotional hurdles he faced, "I'd been struggling with a [left] knee injury for over a year, Last season, I took cortisone injections to numb the pain and played through discomfort, but my movements were getting restricted. I still went to the United Kingdom for my league cricket stint in the summer, but when I returned in September, the pain was immense. So I underwent surgery for a meniscal tear and got it repaired with an implant," he added.

Reflecting on his India cap, Fazal says, "Earning that India cap was the proudest moment for me and the family. That was the biggest high. You can look back and say, 'Oh it was just one game', but also, I was the only one in that squad who didn't play in the IPL," he said.

Also read: Ranji Trophy 2023-24 Semi-finals set for 2nd March: All you need to know about the tournament

The emotional toll of retirement reverberates in Fazal's words as he recalls the morning after, feeling "shattered" yet finding solace in his accomplishments.

"I was shattered waking up the next morning, I won't lie, I'm a very emotional guy. Small things hurt me, or small things make me happy," he concluded.