The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has handed the responsibility of Pakistan Shaheens and the U-19 setup to former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed in a significant restructuring move.
Sarfaraz, the 2017 Champions Trophy-winning captain, will now be head of all the operations of the two squads. "He is, you can say now the Director of the Pakistan Shaheens and junior team and will also travel with them abroad where required," a PCB source said as quoted by news agency PTI.
According to the source, Sarfaraz will coordinate with the board and all the coaches, selectors and the support staff members of the Shaheens and under-19 sides will report to the 38-year-old.
"He will also be part of any decisions taken on appointing coaches or support staff for the two teams," the source added.
Sarfaraz had joined the Pakistan board last year as a mentor of one of the domestic teams in the now-defunct Champions Cup. He was later named the advisor to the Chairman on cricket affairs. However, his interest seemed to be focussed on the younger players and will now have the full responsibility of the young teams.
Pakistan's last ICC title came under the captaincy of Sarfaraz, who was their skipper when the Men in Green won the Champions Trophy 2017. Since then, Pakistan have played in the 2021 T20 World Cup semifinal and the 2022 World Cup final but has not won a title.
Meanwhile, Sarfaraz has not announced his international retirement as of now. He was away from the international teams since 2019 but got the chance to play again in 2021. His last international match for Pakistan came in December 2023 in an away Test series against Australia.
Earlier in the year, Sarfaraz had hoped that he might get another chance to play for Pakistan. "I haven’t announced my retirement yet," Sarfaraz had told in an interview with Cricket Pakistan.
"When someone has played cricket all their life, it obviously hurts to stay away from the game. There comes a time when every player has to step away from cricket, but I try to make the most of whatever matches I get.
"I still keep some hope alive that maybe I’ll get another chance. I never said that I have to play for Pakistan - of course, it's every player’s dream to represent their country. I just want to perform well in whatever cricket I play and give my 100 percent.
"When I feel the moment has arrived, I’ll say it myself-yes, my cricket is over now," he added.
