'It was similar to making debut' - Sarfaraz Ahmed's touching words after his Test comeback

Sarfaraz Ahmed, the veteran Pakistani wicketkeeper, played his 50th Test in Pakistan and much to the stupefaction of the fans, it was his first-ever Test match in the country. As Pakistan faced off against the mighty Tim Southee-led New Zealand side on December 26, Monday, there was a surprise that awaited the Pakistani fans as the new interim selection committee led by Shahid Afridi brought in Sarfaraz after 4 long years. 

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To make it more special, the right-handed batter scored 86 runs on his comeback, putting on a 196-run stand with the Pakistani skipper Babar Azam, as they ended Day 1 at 317/5, with Babar unbeaten at 161. Opening up on the same, Sarfaraz said that he was grateful for the opportunity, rather than worry about not reaching the three-figure landmark. 

“Look, if you ask about how I was feeling when I played the first three deliveries and if someone had checked my heartbeat at that time then probably the meter would have exploded,” Sarfaraz was quoted as saying after Day 1 of the epic Test match. 

My heart was beating so fast: Sarfaraz Ahmed

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Saying that his heart was beating so fast on the first day of the Test against the Kiwis, the wicketkeeper said that it felt more like a Test debut for him. When many expected to get out for a cheap score, Sarfaraz justified his selection by scoring a valuable 86.

“My heart was beating so fast and it was a similar feeling to that of making your debut as I was playing a Test match after a very long time and the match too was in crunch position at that moment. When we walked into the pavilion for the lunch break, boys who have played alongside me, noticed my nervousness and were trying to calm me down,” Sarfaraz was quoted as saying. 

“Babar gave me a lot of confidence as a senior player and carried me with great determination as I also needed confidence at that time. I was sad but then I thought it would have been worse had I got out for a duck and I’m grateful. I used to ponder if I would ever play my 50th Test. When I got to know yesterday that I was going to play, it got me really excited,” he added.