Things every cricket fan should know about him

IT’S a bird, it’s a plane … it’s Super Sarfraz. Sarfraz Ahmed is one of Pakistan Cricket team’s few success stories from the World Cup 2015 where the Men in Green failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

The wicket-keeper batsman was not only instrumental in the team’s success in the crucial win against eventual semi-finalists South Africa, but he also became the first wicketkeeper from Pakistan to score a ton at the mega event. He is agile behind the wicket; and explosive in front of it and has played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s success in the last 15 months.

Here are a few things about Sarfraz Ahmed that you must know because this hardworking cricketer is sure to serve Pakistan cricket for a long time.

• Sarfraz Ahmed is a Hafiz of the Holy Quran; he memorised the Holy Book when he was 10 years old.

• He went to Zahoor Public School and Jinnah College in Karachi.

• Sarfraz Ahmed led Pakistan to victory in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2006.

• Sarfraz represented Sakhi Hasan Gymkhana, Karachi, in 1999 when he first developed interest in cricket.

• He went onto represent AZ Academy and later Pakistan Cricket Club before making his first class debut for Karachi Harbour in 2006. He even represented Pakistan International Airlines in domestic cricket.

• Sarfraz Ahmed made his ODI debut way back in 2007, at Jaipur against India, Test debut at Hobart against Australia and T20 debut at Dubai against England in 2010.

• He was the highest scorer with unbeaten 46 runs when Pakistan defeated Bangladesh in the final of Asia Cup in 2012.

• In 2015, he became the first Pakistani wicket keeper to score as many as three Test centuries in a calendar year; he scored centuries against Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand.

• After Australia’s Adam Gilchrist (vs Namibia in 2003), Sarfraz is the only wicketkeeper to take six catches behind the stumps in a World Cup match. Unlike the Australian wicketkeeper-batsman who made 13 runs in the match, Sarfraz made 49 valuable runs in the historic victory against South Africa.