Teary-eyed Umar Gul says he took retriment from cricket due to his "close friend's death"

Former Pakistani cricket star Umar Gul recently opened up about a "deeply personal reason" behind his retirement from the sport.

In a recent interview, the 41-year-old cricketer was asked if he'd ever experienced a moment of overwhelming dejection.

He spoke about the devastating impact of losing a close friend, which, along with a lack of cricketing opportunities, ultimately led him to hang up his boots.

"While a lack of contracts played a role in my retirement, the passing of a dear friend left me incredibly dejected," the ex-speedster added.

“Honestly, even my wife doesn't know the real reason behind my retirement,” he added.

Gul recounted how his close friend, Kaleem, whom he met in 2004, tragically passed away in a road accident, during the first year of the COVID-19  pandemic, just two days before Eid while traveling from Karachi.

The swing king described a deep bond with Kaleem, saying, "He could understand my emotions just by looking at me."

"Karachi no longer feels the same without him. He used to live here, and I only visited because of him," Gul said with tears in his eyes.

“Even though I've been in Karachi for a month for a shoot, I haven't felt like hanging out with any friends,” the Peshawar Zalmi bowling consultant added.

"Every corner, street, and hotel in Karachi holds beautiful memories of us," he shared.

With 47 Tests, 130 ODIs, and 60 T20Is for Pakistan between 2003 and 2016, the seasoned athlete announced retirement from all forms of cricket following the loss of his team, Balochistan, to Southern Punjab in the National T20 Cup semifinals on October 16, 2020.