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“Never let us feel…”: Ali Raza lauds Sarfaraz Ahmed for ‘family-like’ guidance in Asia Cup

Soumyajit Dutta

Ali Raza and Sarfaraz Ahmed [Source: @RayhamUnplugged/X]Ali Raza and Sarfaraz Ahmed [Source: @RayhamUnplugged/X]

Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team ended a decades-long wait to lift the Asia Cup and young fast bowler Ali Raza has highlighted how former national captain Sarfaraz Ahmed played a key role, guiding and uniting the squad throughout their memorable campaign.

In an exclusive interview, Ali Raza reflected on the team’s journey while expressing how the team work have paid off in the finals. More importantly, he credited Sarfaraz Ahmed’s experience for shaping the team’s mindset.

Ali Raza lauds Ahmed’s contribution

Speaking in the interview, Ali Raza was expressive on Sarfaraz Ahmed’s nature as a nurturing guardian who never had them feel homesick.

“He never let us feel homesick. Instead, he created a family-like environment for the team, which really boosted our morale. Every day, the U19 team focused on learning and improving. The management encouraged us to give 100% on the field, and the result was evident in lifting the U19 Asia Cup trophy,” Raza said.

The young pacer also drew inspiration from the 2017 Champions Trophy victory and how he learnt from the traits of PAK greats like Wasim Akram, among others.

“I watch bowlers like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Asif, Rana Naved, and Mohammad Sami. In the Asia Cup final, I remembered Mohammad Amir’s spell from the Champions Trophy. Seeing former greats praise my performance, like Wasim Akram and Ian Bishop tweeting in my support, is a matter of pride for me,” Raza shared.

Raza shares approach on the IND vs PAK Final

Speaking about the high-pressure match against India, Raza emphasised professionalism.

“In cricket, there is no small or big player—what matters is showing sportsmanship. India displayed great sportsmanship, and we focused on playing our best cricket against them,” Raza concluded.

Ali Raza was instrumental in Pakistan’s title win, finishing as the tournament’s fourth-highest wicket-taker with nine wickets. In the final against India, he delivered a match-winning spell of 4/42.

Batting first, Pakistan scored 347/8, largely due to Sameer Minhas’s brilliant 177. In reply, India were bowled out for 156, handing Pakistan a massive 191-run victory.