Kamal Ghorui
Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed on Sunday confirmed his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing an end to a long international career in which he led the side to memorable triumphs against arch-rivals India national cricket team in two major ICC tournament finals. The wicketkeeper-batter, who last represented the Pakistan national cricket team in a Test against the Australia national cricket team in Perth in December 2023, announced his decision through a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). According to sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the formal announcement could now allow Sarfaraz to be appointed as the head coach of the national Test team on a long-term basis. The red-ball coaching role has remained unfilled since the board decided not to continue with Azhar Mahmood, who had been serving as the interim head coach of the Test team last year. Sarfaraz, who will turn 39 in May, has already been given several responsibilities within Pakistan’s cricket structure. Recently, he was named as a member of the national selection committee and also appointed mentor and manager for the Pakistan Under-19 and Shaheens squads. Despite nearing the end of his career, the Karachi-born cricketer had continued playing domestic cricket and featured in a first-class match as recently as October last year. However, in his statement, he said he now intends to dedicate his time to his administrative and mentoring duties. “I could never have dreamt of captaining Pakistan in all three formats and winning the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2006 and the 2017 Champions Trophy… they are unforgettable moments for me,” he said. Sarfaraz added that throughout his career he had aimed to encourage fearless cricket while also fostering strong unity within the team environment. During his international journey, the wicketkeeper-batter represented Pakistan in 54 Tests, 117 One-Day Internationals and 61 T20 Internationals. He also captained the national side in 100 matches across the three formats.
