The Champions Trophy 2017 was written all over it, as Ahmed Hussain bowled over a skier on the verge of dismissing India’s Deepesh Divendran and sealed Pakistan’s maiden U-19 Asia Cup title.
Just like that fateful day at the London Oval, an opener fired all guns blazing and the pace spearhead routed the Indian top-ranked side. The storyline was almost the same, the staff different – except for one man. Sarfraz Ahmed.
Eight years after leading a young Pakistan team to Champions Trophy glory, Sarfraz once again found himself at the heart of a defining moment between Pakistan and India. This time, he wore neither protection nor gloves. Instead, he stayed on the sidelines, mentoring a group of teenagers as they became Asia’s under-19 kings.
Interestingly, the last time Pakistan won an U-19 title – without sharing the trophy – was in 2006. That team was also captained by Sarfraz. So when the celebrations officially began, Sarfraz’s legacy was impossible to ignore. Ecstatic fans, former cricketers, media pundits and administrators were all united in praising. The captain who won the Champions Trophy received applause from all sides. It was undoubtedly Sarfraz’s moment to bask in glory.
The Pakistan U-19 cricket team was recently crowned queen after comprehensively beating India in the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup. This is the story of how a former captain chose process, patience and belief to make this team.
But the group of boys who brought him those accolades had been nurtured long before he arrived – raised quietly, methodically, and patiently, when no one was watching. Not even Sarfraz himself. This work was carried out by another former Pakistani skipper – less famous perhaps, but no less important in its scope.
In November 2024, Azhar Ali was offered a seat on Pakistan’s national selection committee.
For many former captains, this would have been a logical step: authority, influence and visibility at the highest level. Azhar refused.
“I was offered a place on the selection committee, but I refused because my interest has always been more focused on development,” says Azhar. Eos. “Even when I was playing, I always thought that if you really want to make a difference, it has to be at the developmental and age group level.”
It was not a decision driven by ambition but by conviction. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) – particularly Aaqib Javed, the man behind most of the sporting decisions in Pakistan cricket today – spoke to Azhar. Together, they developed a roadmap to revive the U-19 structure.
But instability within the PCB meant that the challenge began almost immediately. The three-day U-19 inter-district tournament, a key pillar in identifying red-ball talent, was canceled two months early. Azhar was suddenly deprived of the most reliable performance data available.
A conventional approach was no longer possible.
“We asked coaches working with districts who they thought were the best players,” Azhar says. “We did tryouts, put together four teams, then selected 30 players to work with.”
From this improvised but inclusive process emerged a preliminary team which participated in the U-19 T20 Asia Cup later that year. Pakistan reached the semi-finals by beating India in the group stage before losing to a strong Bangladesh team.
For Azhar, results were secondary. What mattered most was the reaction of the players.
“The process started much earlier than people think,” he says. “At this level, players are still in the development phase – technical, tactical, mental and physical. That’s why extra work is always necessary.”
Encouraged by the early signs, Azhar and his coaching staff redoubled their efforts to prepare. A series of skill development camps followed. Seventy of the country’s best young players were invited to participate in the U-17 and U-19 national one-day tournaments. From there, 26 players were selected for a two-month intensive camp in Multan, recently designated as the central training center for Pakistan’s U-19 teams.
The camp, which began on October 23, 2024, would ultimately determine Pakistan’s squads for the U-19 Asia Cup and the U-19 World Cup.
“Our first priority was to identify the best talent and then fulfill all the requirements through camps,” says Azhar. “Fitness, fielding, strong fundamentals – so that, under pressure, these things translate into positive results. »
But development, Azhar believed, could not be limited to cricketing skills alone. “We worked on sports psychology and created safe environments where players could talk about their anxiety, their fear and how to overcome them,” he explains. “At this age, mental toughness is just as important as skill. »
Discipline and lifestyle were treated as non-negotiable. “Discipline was important not only on the field but also off the field,” adds Azhar. “We worked on communication, English lessons, media management – how to represent Pakistan well. Being a good ambassador is part of being an international cricketer.”
Above all, Azhar resisted the temptation to coach too much. “We worked on batting and bowling skills, but we were careful not to overdo it,” he said. “The idea was to improve players without compromising their natural talent.”
Style, he insisted, would always come after substance. “For me, performance comes first. No style matters if it doesn’t produce consistent performance,” says Azhar. “Some players are aggressive, some conventional, some hesitant – each style has value if there is a balance.”
Before the end of the camp, Azhar abruptly left his role – a development which was never officially announced by the PCB. In complete discretion, Sarfraz Ahmed was given the responsibility of supervising the youth teams.
Azhar had prepared the ground. Sarfraz was now responsible for delivering the final act. “Obviously, when you try so hard and then walk away, you’re disappointed,” Azhar admits.
“But Sarfraz is a very good choice, and he is like a brother to me. If he does well, that’s what matters.” The disappointment was personal, but never bitter.
The team Azhar helped shape won all but one match at the U-19 Asia Cup – a group stage loss to India. In the final, they turned the tables emphatically, beating their main rivals by 191 points.
Opener Sameer Minhas struck with authority. Pacer Ali Raza tore up the Indian batting lineup. And when the last shot was taken, Pakistan’s new generation announced itself in style.
While Sarfraz took center stage during the celebrations, Azhar watched from the background – content, thoughtful and quietly fulfilled. “I was really happy,” he says. “It was a complete team effort. No individual can take credit for it. Everyone stayed in their area and gave their best.”
For Azhar, the Asia Cup triumph is not a destination, but simply a checkpoint. “The biggest difference can be made at the age group level,” he says. “At higher levels you can only make minor changes. The next generation of Pakistan cricket comes from these age groups.”
It is a philosophy shaped by his own journey. “I went through this same kind of system myself,” reflects Azhar. “That culture of raising young people the right way, that’s what helped me grow.”
With the U-19 World Cup set to begin on January 15, Pakistan’s young champions are now carrying both their momentum and expectations. Their performances on the world stage will speak volumes about the value of investing in recently retired players – not as coaches or commentators, but as builders of the future.
And whether the spotlight is on Sarfraz or not, the foundations of this team tell a deeper story: one of patience, process and a former captain who chose the harder, quieter path, so that Pakistan cricket could dream again.
The writer is a member of staff. X: @shabbar_mir
Published in Dawn, EOS, January 4, 2026
