Sarfaraz Ahmed was still smiling about the 191-run drubbing of India in last week’s Under-19 Asia Cup final, yet his first public message to the squad was a simple one: enjoy the moment, don’t get carried away.
A short clip from the Dubai final did the rounds online soon after the trophy lift. In it, Pakistan’s U-19 mentor can be heard reminding his youngsters to hold their nerve even if the opposition push boundaries. The clip arrived against the backdrop of a terse match in which no post-game handshakes took place – something that has become common between the two age-group sides since political tensions flared in May.
Explaining the clip, Sarfaraz said:
“I played against those Indian teams who took cricket for cricket [and nothing more]. I happened to see from the outside that their behaviour towards the game wasn’t good. And one of their players did a gesture which all of you saw on the screen. I think that was inappropriate. If you have any issues… we’ve played a lot of cricket and you can respond if things are said on the field… but that was an inappropriate response.
“As for the video, I just said to my players we should celebrate but with decorum. What they are doing, we shouldn’t be doing. We must show sportsman’s spirit. We should stay calm and back our team and let them do what they are doing.”
The gesture Sarfaraz referenced came from India opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who pointed at his boot after Ali Raza’s well-directed yorker uprooted off stump. Raza, a brisk right-arm seamer from Lahore, went on to claim 4 for 42, backing up Sameer Minhas’ remarkable 172 from 113 balls that had propelled Pakistan to 347 for 7. India folded for 156.
Back home, the squad’s reception was predictably warm, but not ostentatious. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif invited the players to Islamabad and announced a PKR 10-million bonus for each squad member – roughly £28,000 apiece. For teenagers on academy contracts that money changes futures, and the captain Farhan Yousaf made sure credit went to the back-room staff rather than politicians.
“The management really backed us and told us to play fearless cricket. They spoke to every single player and said, just play your natural game, do not be afraid of anything, we will back you. One of the big things the management said was that they would take responsibility for any losses but that the credit for wins would be to the boys.”
Sarfaraz, who captained Pakistan’s own 2006 U-19 World Cup-winning side, was only drafted in as mentor at the start of December. He loves the developmental side of the role and sounds convinced this batch can graduate quickly.
“The team had a lot of potential,” he said. “When I joined the camp in Multan it was clear the coaching staff had done a lot of hard work with the boys already. The way the management backed them and the way the kids responded, I said to them, try and fulfil your potential, and don’t be nervous about anything. We gave them the confidence that you are the guys who are going to play for Pakistan for the next 15-20 years. Play your natural games and play a game that you will remember for the rest of your lives.”
Statistically the final was lopsided, yet the context mattered. India and Pakistan age-group sides rarely meet outside ICC events; when they do, tempers can fray. Sarfaraz’s hope is that respect survives the rivalry. For now, his young squad have a shiny trophy, bulging wallets and – if their mentor’s words stick – a reminder that big wins mean most when celebrated with restraint.
