Sarfaraz Ahmed named red-ball head coach of Pak cricket ahead of Bangladesh series

Former Champions Trophy-winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed will take charge of Pakistan’s red-ball setup ahead of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh in the ICC World Test Championship cycle. The Pakistan Cricket Board also confirmed that former Test cricketers Umar Gul and Asad Shafiq will join the coaching staff as bowling and batting coaches, respectively.

Sarfaraz, who famously led Pakistan to their 2017 ICC Champions Trophy triumph with a dominant victory over India, also captained the country to the U19 World Cup title in 2006. In recent months, he has remained closely involved with Pakistan’s development pathway, serving as mentor/manager of the Pakistan U19 side that won the ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup five months ago. Earlier this year, he also took up a similar role with the Pakistan Shaheens during their series against the England Lions, further strengthening his credentials in a leadership and mentoring capacity.

Meanwhile, Gul brings vast international experience, having represented Pakistan in 237 matches across formats, including 47 Tests, and claiming an impressive 427 wickets. Shafiq, appointed as batting coach, enjoyed a distinguished career of his own, featuring in 147 international matches, including 77 Tests. Over the course of his career, he amassed 6,188 runs, registering 12 centuries and 36 half-centuries, making him one of Pakistan’s most reliable middle-order batters in the longer format.

The announcement coincided with the naming of a 16-member squad for the Test series scheduled to be played in May. The board confirmed that Shan Masood will continue to lead the side, which also includes four uncapped players—Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori.

“The players will undergo a preparatory camp in Karachi and will assemble on Monday, 27 April. The camp will conclude on 1 May, with the squad scheduled to depart for Bangladesh on 2 May. Players currently participating in the HBL Pakistan Super League will join the camp after their respective team commitments. Those whose teams qualify for the final will travel directly to Bangladesh after the tournament concludes,” the board said in an official statement.

The last time the two teams faced each other in a test series, Bangladesh achieved a historic 2-0 win against the Shan Massod-led side, marking their first-ever series win against Pakistan. Bangladesh, the visitors won the first Test by 10 wickets and the second by 6 wickets, both in Rawalpindi.

16-MEMBER SQUAD:

Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

TEAM MANAGEMENT:

Naveed Akram Cheema (manager), Sarfaraz Ahmed (head coach), Asad Shafiq (batting coach), Umar Gul (bowling coach), Abdul Saad (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media manager), Lt. Col. (r) Usman Anwari (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor) and Muhammad Ehsan (masseur).