Pakistan cricket: Sarfaraz Ahmed retained as captain, Babar named vice-captain:
Sarfaraz Ahmed retained as captain
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the new coach Misbah-ul-Haq have decided to retain Sarfaraz Ahmed as Pakistan cricket team’s captain for the upcoming three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka in Lahore and Karachi later this month. The Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman, Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed as the captain on a series-by-series basis for some time by The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) but after Pakistan cricket team failed to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup 2019, Sarfaraz Ahmed’s position as the Pakistan cricket team’s captain was thrown in doubts.
Sarfaraz Ahmed’s recent performance:
The Pakistan Cricket Board has already decided to part ways with Mickey Arthur who had been Pakistan cricket team’s coach at the World Cup 2019. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s performance as a batsman and a captain has not been the best for some time now as he only made 621 runs in his last 29 innings at an average of just 32 with only four half-centuries.
Today, The Pakistan Cricket Board’s Chairman, Ehsan Mani, confirmed that Sarfaraz Ahmed will remain as Pakistan cricket team’s captain and Babar Azam will be made the new vice-captain for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The decision was made after recommendations made by the head coach and chief selector, Misbah-ul-Haq, and the PCB cricket committee.
Sarfaraz Ahmed’s response:
Sarfaraz Ahmed said that he feels humbled and honoured to have been awarded an extension to his captaincy term. Sarafraz Ahmed has enjoyed captaining the Pakistan cricket team and he looks forward to improving his leadership qualities under the new Coach Misbah-ul-Haq who also has a proven record as Pakistan’s captain.
Sarfaraz Ahmed also expressed that he had played most of his cricket under Misbah and that they know each other pretty well and will make a good combination to contribute to improved performance of Pakistan’s side across all formats.
Sarfaraz Ahmed acknowledged that he had been performing that well in the limited-overs cricket by saying that he’s aware of not having done justice to the Pakistan team’s potential in ODIs, which has left them and their fans disappointed. Sarfaraz Ahmed hopes that they will be able to turn things around in the coming season and he remains committed to stepping up to the challenge with his own performances and captaincy.
Sarfaraz Ahmed said that he has complete faith in his team which has shown talent, class and charisma it possesses with the only exception of consistency and that’s something Misbah and Sarfaraz Ahmed will be focusing on to improve in all departments of the game. He assured his fans that they will not leave any stone unturned in their preparations for the forthcoming assignments and will do their best to translate these preparations into solid performances. The Pakistan cricket board chairman, Ehsan Mani, expressed confidence that Sarfaraz Ahmed and Babar Azam will bring laurels to the side.
PCB Chairman and head coach regarding Sarfaraz Ahmed
The chairman complimented that Sarfaraz Ahmed is an experienced campaigner who has excelled and improved as a leader with every match. The chairman further added that he’s fully confident that Sarfaraz Ahmed will continue to blossom under Misbah’s wings.
Ehsan Mani also said that this is part of Babar’s gradual development as a future captain and in line with their strategy of introducing a succession plan across the board so that there are no gaps. He said he’s hopeful the trio of Misbah, Sarfaraz and Babar will do well for Pakistan cricket.
The Pakistani head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq also showed confidence that he knows Sarfaraz Ahmed well and he believes he’ll be able to get the most out of his skills and Babar will prove to be the right man by his side.
Misbah-ul-Haq said that he emphasizes on changing the dressing room culture and mindset of the players to achieve better results and he believes Sarfaraz Ahmed is a perfect fit to help him attain these objectives.
