Pakistan’s Champions Trophy winning skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed retires aged 38. Photo: REUTERS
KARACHI:
The balcony door of a house opened and a man appeared. He was not a political leader, yet the entire street was packed with people eager to catch a glimpse of him. As soon as he raised the trophy in his hands, thousands erupted in celebration. The air echoed with chants of “Pakistan Zindabad.”
That young man was Sarfaraz Ahmed, the captain under whom Pakistan won the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. At that time, every young person in Karachi was trying to somehow reach Sarfaraz’s house in Buffer Zone. It was a remarkable achievement,Pakistan had defeated India national cricket team in London to claim the trophy. After Imran Khan, Sarfaraz became the second Pakistani captain to win a 50-over ICC title.
Earlier, he had also led Pakistan to victory in the ICC Under‑19 Cricket World Cup 2006. Under his captaincy, Pakistan won 11 consecutive T20 series and also achieved success in Test and ODI cricket. Even today, people fondly remember his era of leadership. Since he was removed from the captaincy, the team has struggled to find stability. Many captains have come and gone, but none possessed what “Saifi” had.
His greatest strength his selflessness eventually became his weakness. While prioritizing the team, he often pushed himself down the batting order. His form suffered, giving critics an opportunity to target him. His biggest “mistake,” however, surfaced during the 2019 Cricket World Cup. When he did not act on advice given by a powerful figure, the decision was made to remove him from captaincy.
He was informed during a domestic event by Wasim Khan, deputy to PCB chairman Ehsan Mani: “We are removing you from leadership. It would be better if you resign yourself.” Perhaps for the first time, Sarfaraz refused to comply with the board’s suggestion. He replied that he would not resign voluntarily if they wanted to remove him, they should do it themselves. That very evening, the announcement of his dismissal was issued. For Pakistan cricket, it was a dark day, and the team is still suffering the consequences of that decision.
Close friends often advised him to focus on his own batting and move up the order. “As long as the team keeps winning, no one will say anything,” they told him. “But lose one series and everyone will come after you.” Yet he never listened. He always insisted on doing what was best for the team and he paid the price for it.
In Pakistan, players are often forced into captaincy roles, but Sarfaraz was a natural leader. He had been captaining since junior levels and later took the national team to new heights. In the Pakistan Super League, he also performed well for Quetta Gladiators and led them to a title. If you ask players like Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, or others who debuted around that time, many would name Sarfaraz as their favorite captain. He also played a key role in grooming Babar Azam.
He always tried to carry everyone along, but when difficult times arrived, no one stood beside him. The “kids” grew up dreaming of becoming captains themselves and forgot Saifi Bhai’s favors. Yet he never complained and always greeted everyone with a smile. Matters even reached a point where people who once addressed him as “bhaiya” turned their backs on him after becoming selectors. Still, Sarfaraz showed grace he never spoke ill of anyone.
Few people understand cricket as deeply as he does. Nowadays, as soon as some players gain a little fame, they stop playing club or even domestic cricket. Sarfaraz, however, always respected the game. Whenever Azam Khan informed him about a match for Pakistan Cricket Club, he would show up.
His aggressive captaincy style was also a frequent topic of discussion. On the field he would scold players, but they understood his temperament. They knew that if Saifi Bhai had scolded them during the match, he would later put an arm around their shoulder and take them out for dinner while singing songs. That is why he still commands respect today.
In Pakistan, once a player performs well, he often starts behaving like Virat Kohli in attitude. Sarfaraz, however, always remained a man of the people. During the days of Eid al‑Adha, he could often be seen walking a cow through the streets. On ordinary days, he might be spotted riding around on a motorcycle. You will rarely hear anyone say that Sarfaraz behaved rudely he meets everyone with warmth and humility.
In Pakistan, the combination of a great cricketer and a genuinely good human being is rare. Sarfaraz is among those few. One weakness in his career was that his batting did not adapt to modern aggressive styles. Close associates such as Nadeem Omar advised him to develop power-hitting skills or even try opening the innings, but he did not pursue those suggestions.
Nevertheless, Sarfaraz played as much cricket as he did with dignity and honor. Whenever Pakistan’s best captains are discussed, his name will always stand out. He has already begun mentoring junior cricketers, and there are even talks of appointing him as a coach for the Test team.
The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, is known for recognizing good people. Honest and selfless individuals like Sarfaraz appeal to him, which is why he wants to keep him in the national setup. Sarfaraz has never chased money; he lives a simple life. In Pakistan, when someone gains a little wealth, they often rush to move to DHA, but Sarfaraz remains the same boy from Buffer Zone who still plays tape-ball cricket with children in the streets.
Every cricketer must retire one day, and that time has arrived in Sarfaraz’s career as well. The hope is that just as he served the country with distinction as a wicketkeeper-batsman and captain, he will also make his mark as a selector or coach and people will continue to say: “There is no one like Saifi.”
