Sarfaraz Ahmed breaks silence on reports of leaving Pakistan and moving to UK due to uncertain future

Pakistan's star wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed has dismissed reports claiming he is leaving Pakistan and moving to United Kingdom (UK). He criticised such fabricated news and urged media to verify facts before spreading false information. On Saturday, January 20, the cricket world was stirred by media reports from Pakistan suggesting that Sarfaraz Ahmed, the former Pakistan captain had moved to the United Kingdom with his entire family and had no plans to reside in Pakistan anymore.

These reports indicated that Sarfaraz Ahmed made this decision due to his despair over his future with the Pakistan team, as it was hinted that he might not be selected for future matches. Despite this, he was reported to have planned to continue participating in the Pakistan Super League.

Sarfaraz Ahmed was recently part of the Pakistan squad in the Test series against Australia. He played in the first match but was then dropped for the remaining two. In that match, he scored only 7 runs and was subsequently replaced by Mohammad Rizwan, who performed admirably, amassing 193 runs in four innings at an average of 48.25.

News about Sarfaraz Ahmed potentially leaving Pakistan elicited a myriad of responses. Both the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Sarfaraz himself faced significant criticism over this development, sparking widespread surprise and speculation. Amidst all these rumours doing rounds, Sarfaraz Ahmed has firmly denied these hoax and strongly condemned the false reports, expressing his disappointment over the circulation of such misinformation. In a conversation with Samma Digital, Sarfaraz said," I can’t even think of leaving Pakistan. Confirm before running such fabricated news. Sad to see such news."

Azam Khan, the manager of Quetta Gladiators, also dismissed the rumors about Sarfaraz Ahmed moving to the United Kingdom. According to a statement from the cricket governing body's official, Sarfaraz relocated to England temporarily to visit his son, who is studying there, accompanied by his family.

Sarfaraz Ahmed has made significant contributions to Pakistani cricket. He captained the team to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and played several key innings for the team. His leadership skills have been notable, leading Pakistan to numerous memorable victories, and he is also a U19 World Cup-winning captain.

Sarfaraz Ahmed has also shown a keen interest in continuing to play for the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He is prepared to participate in the upcoming season, aiming to reassert his presence on the team. In his international career, Sarfaraz has represented Pakistan in 54 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 61 T20Is. He has accumulated 3031 runs in Test cricket at an average of 37.41, scored 2315 runs in ODIs with an average of 33.55, and amassed 818 runs in T20Is at an average of 27.26.

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