Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is now Pakistan’s Test head coach. His recent comments during Pakistan’s England tour have sparked wide discussion.
Sarfaraz Ahmed addressed reporters after the second day of the Lord’s Test against England. Pakistan had been bowled out for just 110 runs in their first innings. England later posted a huge first-innings lead of 180 runs against Pakistan’s bowlers. This poor batting display has made Sarfaraz Ahmed under pressure to explain his team’s approach.
At the same time, a separate story is also spreading speculations. A British broadcaster aired an interview with Qasim Khan and Suleman Khan, sons of former prime minister Imran Khan who has been in prison from the past three years, during the lunch break on the Test’s first day.
Reports suggested the Pakistan Cricket Board strongly objected to this broadcast. Some reports even say PCB threatened of cancelling the Test at Lord’s if the Sky channel’s interview got aired. Other reports say that the players hesitated before returning to the field.
Sarfaraz Ahmed told reporters he had no knowledge of the interview and was unaware of any formal complaint from the board. He said “I don’t know anything. I’m just focusing on the match,” by the end of the second day’s play.
He made clear that the players focus stayed only on cricket during this difficult period.
What Sarfaraz Said About the Team
Sarfaraz did not shy away from discussing his side’s poor form. He said he would not blame individual players during this tough stretch of matches. Instead, he promised that squad decisions would wait until after the full series ends.
Speaking about specific players, Sarfaraz noted that Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, and Salman Ali Agha had all delivered strong performances before, even though they were currently struggling for runs. His balanced tone through out the interview suggested patience rather than panic from the new coaching setup.
Regarding the match situation itself, Sarfaraz admitted the batting remains a serious concern for the team. He stressed that better batting is essential if Pakistan wants to compete at the highest level. He also praised young batter Azan Awais for scoring 46 runs, calling it a bright spot in an otherwise tough innings. Despite the heavy deficit, Sarfaraz still expressed hope for a positive result if Pakistan could restrict England’s total soon and chase a target near 300 to 350 runs.
Sarfaraz also accepted that the team management always faces criticism whenever results go wrong. He said he remains confident that the squad can still turn things around.
From Star Player to Head Coach
Sarfaraz Ahmed’s journey to this coaching role has been remarkable. He officially retired from international cricket on March 15, 2026 through a formal Pakistan Cricket Board announcement. He is the wicketkeeper-batter who played 54 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 61 T20Is during his long career. Across all formats he scored 6,164 runs including six centuries and 35 half-centuries.
His records behind the stumps are equally impressive. He took 315 catches and completed 56 stumpings throughout his international career. As captain, his achievements stand out even more. He led Pakistan in 100 international matches across all three formats and guided the side to the world number one ranking in T20I cricket.
Pakistan achieved a world record streak of eleven consecutive T20I series wins under his leadership, along with six clean sweeps against major teams. His biggest achievement came in 2017. He guided Pakistan to a famous 180-run win over India in the Champions Trophy final at The Oval, securing the country’s first title in that tournament.
Remarkably, this was not his first World Cup success. Back in 2006, Sarfaraz had already led Pakistan’s Under-19 side to World Cup in Sri Lanka, also beating India in the final.
After retirement Sarfaraz still stayed close to the game. He worked with Pakistan’s junior teams before his coaching appointment. He took charge as Pakistan’s Test head coach ahead of the team’s May series against Bangladesh, filling a role that had been vacant since October 2025.
What Comes Next
Pakistan cricket now faces a testing period under its new coaching leadership. The ongoing England tour has exposed serious batting weaknesses within the squad.
His transition from a former captain to a head coach is being closely watched across Pakistan. With squad changes expected after this series, more news about his decisions will likely follow soon.
