Advertisement
Advertisement
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has handed former national captain Sarfaraz Ahmed a key role as manager and mentor of the Pakistan U19 team for the upcoming ACC U19 Asia Cup 2025, scheduled in Dubai from 12 to 21 December.
The announcement came alongside the release of Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the 50-over tournament, with last year’s participant Farhan Yousaf named captain.
Pakistan have been drawn in Group A alongside India, Qualifier 1, and Qualifier 3, while Group B features Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Qualifier 2, and Sri Lanka.
The tournament will act as vital preparation for the ICC U19 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia from 15 January to 6 February 2026.
Pakistan will begin their campaign on 12 December against Qualifier 3 at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai.
The high-profile clash against India will follow on 14 December at the ICC Academy Ground, with their final group match against Qualifier 1 scheduled for 16 December.
The semi-finals are set for 19 December, with the final to be held on 21 December.
Sarfaraz Ahmed brings extensive experience to the role, having enjoyed a prolific international career.
In 54 Tests, he scored 3,031 runs, including four centuries and 21 fifties. He also amassed 2,315 runs in 117 ODIs, with two centuries and 11 fifties, and contributed 818 runs in 61 T20Is, including three fifties.
As captain, Sarfaraz led Pakistan to the 2017 Champions Trophy triumph, defeating India by 180 runs in the final.
He maintained a 70% win rate in Tests as captain, achieved a 62.5% win rate in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, and recorded a 78.37% win rate in T20Is.
The 38-year-old last represented Pakistan in red-ball cricket during a Test against Australia in Perth in 2023.
Pakistan’s support staff for the U19 Asia Cup includes Shahid Anwar as head coach and batting coach, Rao Iftikhar as bowling coach, Mansoor Amjad as fielding coach, Abrar Ahmed as trainer, Ubaidullah as physiotherapist, and Ali Hamza as analyst.
Pakistan U19 Squad: Farhan Yousaf (captain), Usman Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hassan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Huzaifa, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan (wk), Niqab Shafiq and Sameer Minhas
Non-travelling reserve players: Abdul Qadir, Hasnain Dar, Mohammad Hassan Khan, Ibtisam Azhar and Umar Zaib
Support staff: Sarfaraz Ahmed (manager/mentor), Shahid Anwar (head coach/batting coach), Rao Iftikhar (bowling coach), Mansoor Amjad (fielding coach), Abrar Ahmed (trainer), Ubaidullah (physio), Ali Hamza (analyst)
