Azhar Ali Likely To Replace Sarfaraz Ahmed As Test Captain

The Pakistan Cricket Board is likely to release Sarfaraz from his duties in the red-ball format

Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been prone to heavy criticism since the World Cup 2019 debacle. The situation worsened following the recent T20I series loss to Sri Lanka. After these chain of events, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to release him from his duties in the red-ball format. According to Pakistan media reports, top-order batsman Azhar Ali is likely to replace Sarfaraz as the captain in the longest format of the game while wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan could serve as his deputy. There were certain reports claiming that head coach Misbah ul Haq is unhappy with Sarfaraz's performance and has reportedly communicated it to the PCB Chief Executive Officer Wasim Khan. The reports further stated that Misbah has made it clear to the PCB that Sarfaraz should not continue as the captain of the Green Brigade. However, the board is unwilling to take any chance with a new captain on a tough tour of Australia. It has also been learned that the management is experimenting with young players for the Australia tour and in case the team fails to deliver results, the management can give the excuse of the team going through a transition phase. Moreover, all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is also under consideration to lead Pakistan in the limited-overs format.