Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed‘s appointment as the head coach of the Pakistan Test team is expected to be announced soon, according to sources on Wednesday.
Reports suggest the former wicketkeeper-batter will take charge of the national Test side ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh in May.
If confirmed, Sarfaraz will begin his new role during the series that forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2027 cycle.
The Pakistan Test team head coach position has remained vacant since October 2025. During the recent Test series against South Africa, Azhar Mahmood served as the interim head coach.
Sources say the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is preparing to formalise Sarfaraz Ahmed’s appointment as the team prepares for important fixtures in the new World Test Championship cycle.
Pakistan will play Bangladesh in a two-match Test series, with the first match starting on May 8 and the second beginning on May 16.
Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Current Role
Sarfaraz is currently working with Pakistan Shaheens, who are competing against England Lions in the United Arab Emirates in a T20 and one-day series.
He also previously served as a mentor for the Asia Cup-winning Pakistan U19 team, gaining early coaching experience within the national setup.
These roles have strengthened his credentials as a potential long-term coaching option for the national side. Sarfaraz Ahmed enjoyed a long international career for Pakistan as a wicketkeeper-batter.
In Test cricket, he played 54 matches and scored 3,031 runs, including four centuries and 21 half-centuries. He also represented Pakistan in 117 One-Day Internationals, scoring 2,315 runs with 2 centuries and 11 fifties.
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In T20 Internationals, he appeared in 61 matches and scored 818 runs, including three fifties. His most recent Test appearance came against Australia in Perth in 2023.
Sarfaraz is widely remembered for leading Pakistan to the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy title. In the final, Pakistan defeated India by 180 runs. Under his leadership, Pakistan recorded strong win rates across formats. The team achieved a 70% success rate during the Champions Trophy campaign.
Pakistan also secured five victories in nine matches at the 2019 Cricket World Cup, resulting in a 62.5% win rate.
In T20 Internationals, Sarfaraz led Pakistan to victory in 29 out of 37 matches, giving him a 78.37% win rate as captain. If confirmed as coach, Sarfaraz will return to the national setup in a leadership role as Pakistan prepares for the upcoming World Test Championship fixtures.
