England all-rounder Zafar Ansari, on Wednesday, called time on his Test career aged just 25 to pursue a career in law. The left-arm spinner from Surrey made his debut for his country during their tour of Bangladesh and India during the winter. Ansari’s only One-Day International outing came against Ireland in 2015.

Ansari’s call-up to the Test side came on the back of an excellent county season for Surrey, which saw him pick up 771 runs at 36.71 and take 44 wickets at 30.97. Despite him losing his place in the side, recent displays for Surrey, which included a six-for against Nottinghamshire late last year, suggested that he might earn his place back in the team.

Ansari, in a statement, said: “After seven years as a professional cricketer and almost two decades in total playing the game, I have decided to bring my cricket career to an end. This has been a very difficult decision to make and I have not made it lightly. I started playing for Surrey at the age of 8 and the club has been a hugely important part of my life since then. Surrey have always completely supported me and I am extremely grateful to the club for their backing over the years. It is, therefore, with great sadness that I say goodbye.

“Nevertheless, I have always been clear that when the time was right for me to move on I would, and that time has now come. While the timing may come as a surprise, I have always maintained that cricket was just one part of my life and that I have other ambitions that I want to fulfil. With that in mind, I am now exploring another career, potentially in law, and to achieve this I have to begin the process now.

“I will look back extremely fondly on playing with some wonderful teams and having the opportunity to perform in front of the best crowds in county cricket at the Kia Oval. Equally, to have played three Test matches for England was a huge honour and it is something I will undoubtedly savour for the rest of my life. Most of all, I will miss the people with whom I have shared my career and I cherish the relationships that I’ve formed along the way.”