FILE PHOTO: Sarfaraz felt that having played with some of the players in the Test squad and having captained them, it would be a plus point to settle into his new job. | Photo Credit: AP

Mutual trust and clear communication with players is key for becoming a successful coach, Pakistan’s new Test format head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said on Wednesday.

The first assignment for the 2017 Champions Trophy-winning captain will be a two-Test series in Bangladesh from May 8, which will be Pakistan’s second outing in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

“The technical aspects come later. What is important is that a coach has such a relationship with his players that they understand what he wants and at the same time they are comfortable and trust him enough to sit down with him and discuss anything,” Sarfaraz said while responding to a question about his limited experience as coach.

The majority of the players named in the Test squad for Bangladesh are busy playing in the Pakistan Super League final stages, and the wicketkeeper-batter admitted it would be a challenge for even senior players to adapt to red-ball cricket after playing T20 cricket for over a month.

Sarfaraz also felt that having played with some of the players in the Test squad and having captained them, it would be a plus point to settle into his new job.

The former captain was last year named mentor and manager of the Pakistan under-19 and Shaheens (Pakistan A) squad.

He accompanied them for the Asia Cup and Youth World Cup, but on returning home, he was appointed a member of the national selection committee and later the red-ball head coach.

“I had a very good cricket career. I want to repeat the success as a coach. I have gained some experience in coaching at the domestic level and at the cricket academy, but obviously, Test cricket is very different, and I am confident that with time, the exposure will help me a lot,” he added.

He said premier batter Babar Azam’s return to form in the PSL was a good sign for the upcoming tour despite the formats being different.

“The main thing is he is back to playing technically good cricket.”

Sarfaraz said Bangladesh would offer strong competition to Pakistan in its own backyard, and his team will go there prepared for both spin and pace-oriented pitches.

Published on Apr 29, 2026