Sarfaraz Ahmed opens up on close ties between Indian and Pakistani players

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed opened up about the evolving relationship between Indian and Pakistani cricketers, particularly off the field. He emphasized the growing camaraderie between players from both teams, noting that despite the limited encounters in the past, recent years, especially during ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup, have seen strong bonds form.

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Sarfaraz explained, “While the lack of bilateral series has affected interactions to some extent, the matches that do take place, especially back-to-back encounters, have led to improved relations.” 

He further shared, “Whenever Indian and Pakistani players meet, there is always mutual respect and friendship, after matches it’s not uncommon to see players like Shoaib Malik, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and others sitting together, chatting and enjoying each other's company.”

He reflected on how much these interactions have grown over time and the genuine friendships that have developed despite the political tensions between the two nations.

Sarfaraz also recalled the famous picture of his son Abdullah sitting on MS Dhoni's lap, taken just before the 2017 Champions Trophy final. 

Sarfaraz explained, “The moment happened when his family friends were visiting, and Dhoni happened to come downstairs. He thought it would be a perfect opportunity to capture the moment with his three-month-old son.” 

Sarfaraz further shared how Dhoni expressed joy upon meeting Abdullah, asking whose child he was. Sarfaraz replied, "This is my son," to which Dhoni expressed his happiness at meeting him.

Sarfaraz further revealed that he had conversations with Dhoni about wicketkeeping and cricket in general. In 2017, during their match in Oval, Sarfaraz took the opportunity to ask Dhoni how he managed to balance his roles as a wicketkeeper, batsman, and captain. Sarfaraz said the tips Dhoni shared with him were immensely helpful, describing Dhoni as humble and generous in offering his advice.