Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed appointed as the new head coach of the national Test team.

Sarfaraz Ahmed, a Test wicketkeeper from Karachi and former Test captain, is regarded among the most respected and proud cricketers of Pakistan. He brought honor to the country both as a player and as a captain. Rising through the grassroots level, the wicketkeeper not only earned a strong reputation in his career but also achieved notable accomplishments.

Born on May 22, 1987, in Karachi, Sarfaraz Ahmed led Pakistan to victory in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2006 as captain. In 2017, Pakistan achieved a historic feat by defeating traditional rivals India by a massive margin of 180 runs at The Oval in London to win the ICC Champions Trophy. Under Sarfaraz Ahmed’s leadership, the Pakistan cricket team also won eleven consecutive T20 series.

Sarfaraz Ahmed, who led the Pakistan cricket team in 13 Tests, 50 ODIs, and 37 T20 Internationals, will now take on the responsibilities as the new head coach of Pakistan’s Test team.

The wicketkeeper, who is currently serving as a mentor and selector in the Pakistan Cricket Board, has been principledly chosen by PCB Chairman Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi to take charge of the Test team. As the head coach of the Test side, this will be a new challenge and a fresh beginning for Sarfaraz Ahmed, where it appears he will need to rebuild the Pakistan team from scratch in the current situation.

Since the introduction of the ICC Test Championship, Pakistan’s performance in Test cricket has not been particularly impressive. Due to T20 leagues and lucrative contracts, players’ focus on the longer format has become minimal. As a result, in recent years, Pakistan have failed to win home Test series against Bangladesh, South Africa, and the West Indies. In this situation, the task ahead appears quite challenging for Sarfaraz Ahmed as the head coach of the Pakistan Test team.

Rising from the grassroots level to international cricket through relentless hard work, Sarfaraz Ahmed is now set to appear in a new role as the head coach of the Test team. He will face immense challenges ahead. Without achieving positive results, it will not be easy for him to move forward and make progress. However, in the context of the PCB’s current approach, it seems the board has little choice but to give Sarfaraz Ahmed an opportunity and place its trust in him. Beyond immediate results, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s real objective should be to build a strong and balanced Test team under his leadership for the future, as the time for constant changes and experiments has passed. In this regard, Sarfaraz Ahmed is not just a good or suitable option, but could prove to be a positive step by the cricket board towards stabilising the Pakistan Test team.