• Home
  • Match Hub
  • Sarfaraz Ahmed Becomes First Pakistan Wicket Keeper To Reach 3000 Test Runs

Sarfaraz Ahmed Becomes First Pakistan Wicket-keeper To Reach 3000 Test Runs

image-lk6o7fbqSarfaraz Ahmed for Pakistan. [Twitter]

Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed has become the first ever wicket-keeper batter from his country to reach the milestone of 3000 Test runs during the second day of the ongoing first test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Galle.

Coming into this Test match, the 36-year-old had 2992 runs in 51 Test matches for Pakistan. After coming out to bat at number six in Pakistan’s first innings, needing eight runs to achieve the feat, Sarfaraz crossed the 3000-run mark by scoring a boundary off Prabath Jayasuriya in the second session of Day 2.

Sarfaraz, who made his Test debut in 2010, had a difficult start to his international career. He didn’t play another Test till 2013 and made his presence felt for the first time in the Sharjah Test against Sri Lanka back in 2014 when Pakistan chased down over 300 inside 58 overs to level the three-match series.

With time he became an integral part of the Pakistan setup and went on to lead the side in all three formats. He captained the Test side for the first time in September 2017 against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi and went on to lead the side in 12 more Tests till January 2019.

Sarfaraz is also the third wicket-keeper from Pakistan to have 2000 Test runs and 100 dismissals behind the stumps. Sarfaraz biggest moment in his career came when he led Pakistan to Champions Trophy glory in 2017 beating arch-rivals India in the final.

Unfortunately, due to a number of poor outings with the bat and Pakistan falling behind under his leadership, Sarfaraz lost his captaincy in all three formats in 2019 and was also dropped from the side completely. 

However, he made his comeback into the Test eleven in December last year and has scored four fifty-plus scores, including a century and reached the 3000-run landmark now in what looks like the third phase of his international career.

As of writing this, Sarfaraz has been dismissed by Prabath Jayasuirya, who claimed his third wicket of the innings. Pakistan are 132 for 5, still trailing by 180 runs.