Mohammad Hafeez comes out in support of Sarfaraz Ahmed

Pakistan team director Mohammad Hafeez has expressed his support for the struggling wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed following Australia's dominant 360-run victory in the opening Test at Perth.

Despite the visitors crumbling for a mere 89 runs while chasing a target of 450, Hafeez defended Sarfaraz, who managed only three runs in the first inning and four runs in the second inning, being dismissed by Mitchell Starc in both instances.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hafeez cited Sarfaraz’s excellent performance in the New Zealand series in Pakistan and emphasized not hastily making judgments based on one match.

 "Sarfaraz has given a lot of performances for Pakistan. In the New Zealand series in Pakistan, he was excellent. Yes, five to six months have passed but you give first priority to your best performers from recent series. Unfortunately, this match didn't go well for Sarfaraz according to our expectations. However, we can't start thinking something totally different after one match," Hafeez said.

Despite Sarfaraz's subpar performance in the Perth Test, Hafeez urged against doubting the player's skills and emphasized his experience in touring countries like Australia, South Africa, and England.

"Sarfaraz isn't new - he has toured Australia, South Africa, England before. He's not new to these conditions that we can say that he'll struggle to adjust. Yes, he didn't perform up to expectations as a batsman and keeper. But this doesn't mean that we should start doubting someone's skill and saying they can only play in certain conditions," he added.