The Pakistan Champions have formally signed former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed for the second edition of the World Championship of Legends. Sarfaraz Ahmed will make a highly anticipated comeback after a long-term absence from the national team since 2023.
The World Championship of Legends has been renewed for season 2 after the very successful inaugural edition which saw India Champions win the title, beating arch-rivals Pakistan Champions in a thriller game. Ahead of the second season which will kick off on July 18, 2025, Pakistan Champions have made a notable addition to their squad.
Sarfaraz Ahmed to play WCL with Pakistan Champions
Sarfaraz Ahmed, the former Pakistan captain who led the team to victory in the 2017 Champions Trophy, is set to make a thrilling return to limited-overs cricket with WCL season 2.
The management announced through a post in social media along with a video from the official Pakistan Champions account which emphasizes his leadership qualities and declares him the “CAPTAIN. LEADER. LEGEND.”
Sarfaraz Ahmed addition to the Pakistan Champions team would be a much-needed boost, as he boasts a lot of leadership experience. During his stint as captain, Pakistan not only won the 2017 Champions Trophy by beating arch-rivals India in the final but also had an excellent run of 11 successive T20 series victories against Australia, New Zealand, and England.
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has come forward to suggest Sarfaraz Ahmed as the mentor of the national team ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy. He recalled how Sarfaraz did wonders for Pakistan by taking them to their only Champions Trophy title back in 2017 where Pakistan defeated India in that memorable final. Another Pakistan cricketer Misbah Ul Haq considered Sarfaraz Ahmed’s captaincy stint in ICC champions Trophy 2017 to legendary Indian skipper MS Dhoni.
Misbah-ul-Haq made a massive statement on a Pakistan cricketer Sarfaraz Ahmed comparing him to legendary MS Dhoni
Former India captain MS Dhoni is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in white-ball cricket. Under him, the Men in Blue won the inaugural T20 World Cup held in South Africa in 2007. Dhoni subsequently guided India to ODI World Cup glory at home in 2011. He became the first captain to win all three white-ball ICC trophies (a record he still holds) when India won the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.
Any captain in international cricket considers it a great honor to be compared to the legendary former Indian wicketkeeper-batter. Back in June 2017, former Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq made a massive claim when he compared then Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed to Dhoni.
Speaking to a television channel, Misbah made the statement after Pakistan defeated hosts England in the first semifinal of the 2017 Champions Trophy at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. Hailing keeper-batter Sarfaraz, Misbah said:
“Every decision Sarfaraz took today was spot on. One thing is very important for Sarfaraz. He’s like MS Dhoni. He’s not temperament wise like him, he’s aggressive – but he keeps his plans very simple like him.
“He sticks to the plans and the plus points… Happy for Sarfaraz, brilliant captaincy from him. The way he took decisions (and) bowling changes, he was excellent and ahead of the game. So proud to see him as a captain and Pakistan team performing like that,” the former Pakistan batter added.
After crushing England by eight wickets in the 2017 Champions Trophy semifinal, Pakistan went on to thump arch-rivals India by 180 runs in the final played at the Kennington Oval in London. Batting first, Pakistan put up an imposing 338-4 on the board as Fakhar Zaman smashed 114 off 106 balls, while Mohammad Hafeez hit 57* off 37 balls.
In the chase, Team India was all-out for 158 in 30.3 overs. Hardik Pandya top-scored with 76 off 43, but none of the other batters came to the party. Dhoni was dismissed for a laborious four off 16 balls.
Pakistan have been at the receiving end of continuous losses against India in ICC tournament over the years. The last time Pakistan defeated India in an ICC game was in 2021 during the T20 World Cup; since then, the side has faced defeats in the 2022 edition of the tournament, the 2023 ODI World Cup, and again at the T20 edition in 2024.
Rohit Sharma’s men are grouped with Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy. The side will begin its campaign against Bangladesh on February 20, and will take on arch-rivals Pakistan on 23. They will return after a six-day gap for the last game of group stage, taking on the Kiwis. All of India’s matches will take place in Dubai.