ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) Pakistan team will perform well in the West Indies tour and England, says head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed

ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) Pakistan Test cricket team head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed says the Pakistani team will perform well on the West Indies and England tours. He said the team is balanced and will try to win the series against the West Indies. Speaking at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, he expressed hope that Babar Azam will play a key role. Babar Azam is fully fit, and it is hoped that he will live up to expectations and perform well in the two-Test series against the West Indies. He said there are expectations of better results in the three-match Test series against England as well. Both series are important as part of the ICC Test Cricket Championship. The Pakistani squad will leave Islamabad on July 13 for the West Indies tour. The team will also play a four-day practice match in the West Indies from July 18 to 21. Two Test matches are scheduled from July 25 to August 10 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Toowoomba, and Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain.
The Pakistan Test squad’s pre-series camp for the West Indies tour was held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The players participated in the training camp under the supervision of the coaches. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, batting coach Asad Shafiq and bowling coach Umar Gul conducted drills in all three disciplines. Captain Babar Azam and other players also took part in a full nets session on practice wickets. The Pakistan Test team played a two-day intra-squad scenario match. The 16-member squad against the West Indies includes Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Owais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Muhammad Abbas, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Owais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghauri (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Obaid Shah. Saud Shakeel has also been included in the 17-member squad against England, along with all the players from the West Indies series, subject to fitness clearance. The selection committee has given four new players a chance in the Test squad for the first time, including left-arm spinner Ali Usman, right-arm batsman Mohammad Owais Zafar, right-arm fast bowler Obaid Shah and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Ghazi Ghauri.
Pakistan and West Indies are scheduled to play two Test matches of the ICC World Test Championship from July 25 to August 10.
It may be recalled that Sarfaraz Ahmed is the official red-ball head coach. After his retirement from international play, he was appointed to lead the Test team in April 2026, overseeing the squad’s preparations and tours. His coaching stint comes during the successful management of Pakistan’s Under-19 team, where he guided the youngsters to win the 2025 Asia Cup in Dubai. As Test head coach, his immediate responsibilities include guiding senior players through a rigorous conditioning camp at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and leading the team on high-profile Test tours of the West Indies and England.