Pakistan Test team head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed has expressed immense confidence in Babar Azam’s newly reinstated leadership, stating he expects highly positive results under the star batsman’s captaincy during the upcoming assignments.
Speaking at the introductory ceremony of the Association of Sports Media Alliance (ASMAN) at the Karachi Press Club, Sarfaraz revealed that the national red-ball training camp is scheduled to kick off tomorrow in Islamabad. “I have had detailed discussions with Test captain Babar Azam, and I am highly optimistic that he will lead the side effectively. We are expecting great outcomes from his captaincy,” the head coach remarked.
Sarfaraz explained that the primary objective of the Islamabad camp is to rigorously elevate the players’ physical conditioning. He noted that while certain fitness issues were identified during a previous conditioning camp, some have already been resolved, and the remaining gaps will be aggressively targeted starting tomorrow.
Shifting his focus to sports journalism, the former captain praised the establishment of the media alliance but pointed out a stark contrast between traditional sports reporting and contemporary journalism. “In the past, journalists would physically come to the ground, analyze performances firsthand, and report accordingly. Today, opinions are heavily shaped by social media trends, and players’ personal issues are dragged into the spotlight,” he lamented. Sarfaraz expressed hope that seasoned journalists within the alliance would revive high-quality journalism, creating a supportive environment so young athletes are not deterred from pursuing sports. He fondly reminisced about his own domestic cricket days, recalling how he used to photocopy news clippings of his performances and personally deliver them to newspaper offices on his motorcycle.
