Pakistan Director of Cricket Mohammad Hafeez has backed underperforming Veteran Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Sarfraz Ahmed to come good for the team against Australia in the next two games of the three-match test series.
Despite having not played an international match in the previous 12 months, Sarfaraz Ahmed was selected ahead of Rizwan for last year’s Boxing Day Test against New Zealand in Karachi. He has held his place in all five Tests Pakistan has played since then and justified his place in the side by scoring crucial runs for the team, but could not make an impact for the team in the first test against Australia.
During the post-match press conference, Mohammad Hafeez highlighted the importance of not drawing hasty judgments based on one match, citing Sarfaraz’s strong performance in the New Zealand series in Pakistan and backs him to come good against Australia in the remaining games.
“Sarfaraz has given a lot of performances for Pakistan. In the New Zealand series in Pakistan, he was excellent. Yes, five to six months have passed but you give priority to your best performers from the recent series.
“Unfortunately, this match didn’t go well for Sarfaraz according to our expectations. However, we can’t start thinking something totally different after one match,” Mohammad Hafeez said.
The Men in Green were able to score only 89 runs while chasing a staggering 450 runs for the victory, while most of the Pakistan batters failed to perform for the team in the overseas conditions. Sarfaraz Ahmed scored only three runs in the first inning and four runs in the second, before being dismissed by Mitchell Starc in both innings.
This Doesn’t Mean That We Should Star Doubting Someone’s Skill – Mohammed Hafeez
Despite Sarfaraz Ahmed’s poor performance in Perth, Mohammad Hafeez said that no one should doubt a player’s ability based on a single game and stressed his touring experience in Australia, South Africa, and England over the years.
“Sarfaraz isn’t new – he has toured Australia, South Africa, and England before. He’s not new to these conditions and we can say that he’ll struggle to adjust. Yes, he didn’t perform up to expectations as a batsman and keeper.
“But this doesn’t mean that we should start doubting someone’s skill and saying they can only play in certain conditions,” Mohammed Hafeez added.
Pakistan entered the new World Test Championship 2025 cycle with an immaculate record, having won both away Tests against Sri Lanka in July. On the road, however, they were unable to compete against a powerful Australian squad. Meanwhile, the Baggy Greens have beaten the Men in Green magnificently, scooping up valuable points in the World Test Championship cycle.
