Sarfraz Ahmed

Sarfaraz Ahmed was born on May 22, 1987, in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. His cricketing journey began early, notably leading the Pakistan U-19 team to victory in the 2006 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where they defeated India in the final. This early display of leadership and skill marked him as a promising talent within Pakistani cricket. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut in November 2007 and his Test match debut in January 2010.

Ahmed’s international career saw significant milestones when he was appointed captain of Pakistan’s Twenty20 International (T20I) team in April 2016, and subsequently the ODI captain in February 2017. Under his captaincy, Pakistan achieved a historic win in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, defeating India in the final. He also led Pakistan to the number one ranking in ICC T20I rankings in late 2018, overseeing a remarkable streak of 11 consecutive T20I series wins. His leadership extended to Test cricket, becoming the 32nd Test captain for Pakistan in September 2017.

Beyond international play, Sarfaraz Ahmed captained the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), leading them to their first tournament victory in the fourth season. His contributions to Pakistani cricket were recognized with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s third-highest civilian award, in March 2018. He concluded his captaincy for Pakistan’s national team in October 2019 but continued to be an influential player in domestic and franchise cricket, including stints with the Galle Gladiators in the Lanka Premier League.