Sarfaraz Ahmed

Street smart and brilliant under pressure are some of the traits which define Sarfaraz Ahmed the best. A right-handed wicket-keeper batsman, Sarfaraz became a household name by becoming only the second Pakistani captain after the great Imran Khan, to win a 50-over World title.

A gutsy cricketer, Sarfaraz rose to prominence after he led Pakistan to their second U19 World Cup title in 2006. Pakistan became the first team to defend their World title successfully. 

After some impressive performances in the U19 and domestic circuit, Sarfaraz received his maiden ODI call-up in 2007 against India. He didn’t get a chance to bat as Pakistan had won the game before he was needed to bat.

He made his Test debut in Hobart in 2010 as regular wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal was dropped due to poor form and Sarfaraz was roped in to make his debut in the third Test. He had a poor start to his Test career as the batter could only manage six runs in the combined two innings.

Sarfaraz was in and out of the team due to poor form and Kamran being preferred over him as the first-choice wicket-keeper. 

It was in the 2012 Asia Cup that Sarfaraz made a name for himself on the international stage. Pakistan was in a tricky situation against Bangladesh when Sarfaraz rescued the innings and played a valiant knock of (46*). His team went on to win that match by 2 runs. 

After years of being neglected for the Test team, Sarfaraz was given the gloves for the tour to South Africa in 2013. He looked a better player and was visibly composed during the entirety of the series. 

Following year Sarfaraz turned the tides and scored his maiden Test ton against Sri Lanka. He also notched up tons against Australia and New Zealand in consecutive Test series.

He was in the Pakistan squad for the 2015 World Cup, and in a must-win game against the Proteas, Sarfaraz scored a run-a-ball 49. His efforts were rewarded with the 'Man of the Match' award and in the very next he slammed his maiden ODI century against Ireland.

Following a dismal World Cup performance by Pakistan, selectors showed faith in Sarfaraz and handed him the T20 captaincy in 2016. 

The following year, after Azhar Ali resigned from the post of Pakistan’s ODI skipper, Sarfaraz Ahmed was chosen to succeed him. In his very first assignment as the ODI captain, Pakistan defeated West Indies 2-1. 

His captaincy was tested in the Champions Trophy 2017. Pakistan was drubbed by India in the group stage match, but they went onto win their next four matches, including a one-sided final against India to win their maiden CT title. Sarfaraz became a national hero and earned respect for his shrewd captaincy from the cricketing fraternities.

In January 2019, Sarfaraz was caught using a racial slur towards South Africa’s Andile Phehlukwayo. He was suspended by ICC for four matches and Shoaib Malik captained Pakistan in his absence. 

Sarfaraz Ahmed is one of the most respected cricketers in Pakistan. Aggressive with the bat, and street smart with his captaincy, Sarfaraz has come a long way in his cricketing journey. Loss of form towards the end of 2019 meant that Sarfaraz was abruptly removed as captain in all three formats of the game.

With the rise of Mohammad Rizwan from behind the stumps as well as with the bat, the selectors have tended to look beyond Sarfaraz. However, the experienced campaigner still remains a pivotal member of Pakistan side. 

(As of March 2021)