Sir Viv Richards: “Sarfaraz Ahmed has always been a strong captain. He led from the heart. Players who served Pakistan with such dedication for years will surely be remembered on the field”
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Legendary West Indies batsman Sir Viv Richards has praised Pakistan wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed, saying he has “always been a strong captain”.
Sarfaraz used to captain Pakistan in all three formats and even helped the men in green lift the coveted Champions Trophy title in 2017.
After he was removed as skipper, the 38-year-old saw his playing time decrease significantly. In fact, his last international match came all the way back in December 2023.
Despite this, Richards lauded Sarfaraz for leading “from the heart” during his time as captain and has no doubts the Karachi native “will surely be remembered” for his leadership and dedication.
“Sarfaraz Ahmed has always been a strong captain. He led from the heart. Players who served Pakistan with such dedication for years will surely be remembered on the field,” he told Cricket Pakistan.
“As we move forward, I hope we continue to find players who carry Sarfaraz’s kind of passion.”
During the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), Sarfaraz didn’t play for the Quetta Gladiators, but instead served as their team director.
The Gladiators made it to the final, but were unable to come out on top as they lost to the Lahore Qalandars.
Following PSL 10, Pakistan took on Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series, which they won 3-0.
The men in green are now touring Bangladesh and find themselves 1-0 down in the three-match T20I series after losing the 1st T20I by seven wickets.
The 2nd T20I will be held on July 22 in Mirpur.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza and Sufiyan Muqeem