Sarfaraz Ahmed named Quetta Gladiators’ director ahead of PSL 10

KARACHI: Former Pakistan Super League (PSL) champions Quetta Gladiators on Wednesday, appointed Champions Trophy-winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as their team director ahead of the 10th edition of the tournament, slated to commence on April 11.

The former Pakistan captain, who was released by the franchise and was one of the most notable names in the list of unpicked at the Players draft, is set for a new role with the Gladiators.

After going unpicked in the player draft, the reports suggested that Sarfaraz could replace Australia’s Shane Watson as the Gladiators as the latter decided to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts with other professional commitments.

However, the 37-year-old has now been roped in by the franchise as the team director.

The announcement was made by franchise owner Nadeem Omer during a sponsor signing ceremony earlier today.

Omar also expressed his hope that the combination of head coach Moin Khan and team director Sarfaraz would pay dividends for the franchise.

“Today I would like to announce Sarfaraz as Team Director of Quetta Gladiators,” said Omar.

“Sarfaraz led QG really well as a captain and I am hopeful he will do the same as Director too. The combination of Moin Khan as Head Coach and Sarfaraz as Team Director would do wonders for us,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention that Sarfaraz Ahmed’s association with Quetta Gladiators began with the inception of the league in 2016, and over the years, he became a key figure, leading the team to its maiden and only PSL title in 2019.

During his time with the team, he played 86 matches, scoring 1525 runs at an average of 29.32, including seven half-centuries.

However, the 2023 season saw Sarfaraz replaced by South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw as the team’s captain, marking the end of his long leadership role with the franchise.