Pakistan's Former Stalwarts Slam PCB For Sacking Sarfaraz Ahmed As Captain

Sarfaraz Ahmed’s dismal form and Pakistan’s disastrous home series against Sri Lanka resulted in him being dropped from Pakistan’s Test and T20I squads

Pakistan's former stalwarts lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for removing Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain in all three formats of the game. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s dismal form and Pakistan’s disastrous home series against Sri Lanka resulted in him being dropped from Pakistan’s Test and T20I squads. Post Sarfaraz's axing, Azhar Ali and Babar Azam took over the captaincy in Test and T20I format, respectively. "Azhar's appointment as Test captain is okay but if the Board wanted to appoint Babar as white-ball captain, they should have first groomed him as I fear the burden of T20 captaincy will affect his batting," Miandad said. Pakistan ex-head coach and chief selector Mohsin Khan said, "He (Sarfaraz) took Pakistan to number one in T20 cricket and he is a fighter. This is a decision taken in haste and it could also affect the career of Babar." Former captain Rashid Latif stated that Sarfaraz did not deserve this treatment. "He is a selfish player and we have seen this in international cricket and now in the national T20 championship. Sarfaraz is not a selfish captain and sacrificed his position many times for the team. He did not deserve this treatment," he said. Former skipper Moin Khan said he was shocked at the way the Board had treated Sarfaraz. "He (Sarfaraz) has shown himself to be a fine captain and yes he was struggling a bit for form but when a senior player is under pressure you have to encourage and back him, not dump him like this," Moin said. However, defending PCB’s decision, cricketer-turned-commentator Ramiz Raja said people defending Sarfaraz should accept his poor form in recent months as skipper "We were struggling in Test cricket, we did not reach semifinals of the World Cup. We lost to a Sri Lankan 'B' team in T20 cricket and his own form is on a decline. I think the Board acted properly by investing in a young player in the white-ball formats. If Babar develops into a good leader he can also become Test captain," he said. Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said Sarfaraz only had himself to blame for his ouster. "I have been saying for a while now that he needs to be a brave captain and player. He has not been physically fit and he lacked leadership qualities," Akhtar said.