Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is reportedly set to become the next head coach of the Pakistan Test team, a position that has remained vacant for the last five months. Azhar Mahmood had served as the interim head coach during the recent Test series against South Africa.
According to a report in Geo News, Sarfaraz, currently working with the Pakistan Shaheens and in the UAE for a T20 and one-day series against the England Lions, will take over the role during Pakistan’s Test series against Bangladesh in May.
Sarfaraz strengthened his case after his recent success as mentor of the Asia Cup-winning U19 side. During that tournament, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was approached by a group of fans who urged him to appoint Sarfaraz as the senior team’s head coach.
Pakistan are currently fifth in the World Test Championship table following last October’s home draw against South Africa. They will begin their next assignment in the cycle with a two-Test series against Bangladesh starting May 8. As per the report, a formal announcement on Sarfaraz’s appointment is expected soon.
The wicketkeeper-batter has played 54 Tests for Pakistan, scoring 3,031 runs, including four centuries and 21 fifties. He captained the side in 13 of those matches, registering four wins, including a memorable victory at Lord’s against England in 2018. He last represented Pakistan in the red-ball format during a Test against Australia in Perth in 2023.
In white-ball cricket, Sarfaraz featured in 117 ODIs, scoring 2,315 runs with two centuries and 11 fifties, and played 61 T20Is, accumulating 818 runs. He enjoyed greater success as a captain in limited-overs formats, most notably leading Pakistan to the 2017 Champions Trophy triumph. He also captained the side at the 2019 ODI World Cup, where Pakistan failed to reach the semifinals after winning five of their nine matches. In T20Is, he boasts a win percentage of 78.37 per cent.
