5 reasons why Sarfraz Ahmed can become a great captain

When Azhar Ali stepped down from the leadership mantle after successive 1-4 thrashings in England and Australia, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) replaced him with the most popular choice. After ascending to the throne of captaincy, Sarfraz Ahmed has overseen an unprecedented resurgence in his team's limited-overs fortunes.

Upon leading his country to their maiden Champions Trophy title in 2017, the wicketkeeper-batsman's ruthless leadership helped Pakistan inflict an emphatic 5-0 whitewash on an abject Sri Lankan side in the recently-concluded ODI series in the UAE.

Even though he still has some way to go before replicating the steadiness of his predecessor Misbah-ul-Haq at the Test level, Sarfraz possesses the skills required for a leader and can leave behind an indelible legacy in the game.

Here are five reasons why the 30-year old can go on to become a great captain across all formats.

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#5 Passionate about the game

Sarfraz's passion for cricket can be felt from the manner in which he reacts to different situations in the game. Not one to shy away from showing emotions on the field, the gloveman makes his thoughts pretty clear to his teammates whenever they do not live up to his lofty expectations. Such intense dedication to the team's cause and profound commitment to his country's honour should help him reach even bigger heights.

During the Champions Trophy, Sarfraz carried his team's aspirations by leading from the front. While the team did perform well on the whole, they would not have reached the semi-final if it was not for the captain's gutsy 79-ball 61* in the clash against Sri Lanka.

Even as wickets kept tumbling at the other end and the pressure reached a crescendo, he rode on his fierce determination to single-handedly lead his team to the knockouts.

#4 Learns from mistakes

Sarfraz Ahmed has his task cut out in dealing with the Test team's transitional phase

During the group match against India at Edgbaston in the 2017 Champions Trophy, Pakistan won the toss under overcast conditions and chose to bowl first. Captaining against the arch-rivals for the first time in his career at the senior level, the extreme hype and frenzy began to tell on Sarfraz.

Even as the setting was apt for the pace bowlers to make early inroads, the skipper surprisingly wasted the new-ball by bringing in Imad Wasim from the other end. The openers latched on to the fatal error and established a solid platform for India to dominate from the outset.

Exactly a couple of weeks later, the two rivals met again. This time around, Virat Kohli committed a blunder by deciding to bowl first on a flat surface at The Oval. Defending a humongous total, Sarfraz sent an uncomplicated message to an in-form top-order by unleashing his fast bowlers at the start of the innings. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sarfraz has already shown a tendency to publicly acknowledge his mistakes and learn from them. Such an approach to the game should augur well for the Test team.

Having suffered an ignominious 0-2 defeat in the Test series versus Sri Lanka in the UAE, Pakistan's young players have to imbibe their captain's philosophy in order to rise from the abyss.

#3 Backs young talent

Sarfraz Ahmed has to be given credit for his handling of youngsters like Shadab Khan

For all his unflappable calmness and statesman-like presence, Misbah-ul-Haq was frequently criticised for persisting with non-performing senior players despite the fresh faces at his disposal.

Such a conventional tactic worked wonders for Pakistan during Test matches in the UAE. However, the slew of limited-overs contests at their adopted home, as well as challenging tours outside their comfort zone laid bare the team's predictability.

Extra Cover: 5 reasons why Sri Lanka was whitewashed by Pakistan

While Sarfraz can seek inspiration from Misbah's unflinching demeanour during tight situations, the wicketkeeper has the capacity to fashion a team in his own image. Much like Indian icon MS Dhoni, he backs younger players by providing them with regular opportunities.

The emergence of promising all-rounder Shadab Khan can be viewed as a by-product of Sarfraz's immense faith in talented aspirants.

#2 Uses pacers as attacking weapons

Hasan Ali has rapidly risen to become Sarfraz Ahmed's trusted pace spearhead

Much like India's core skill is batting, Pakistan's fortunes have largely revolved around their world-class bowling.

Over the course of the last few years, the Asian powerhouse's enviable pace legacy has been reduced to tatters as defensive-minded captains attempted to convert strike-forces into symbols of parsimony. In sharp contrast to their illustrious fore-bearers such as Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar, the team's bowling lineup was made to revolve around insipid all-rounders and mercurial spinners.

However, under Sarfraz, Pakistan has reverted to its traditional brand of cricket.

With highly skilled fast bowlers like Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan leading the charge, the captain has managed to carve out a potent bowling unit capable of holding its own against any team.

Sarfraz's utilisation of his pacers was one of the foremost reasons behind Pakistan's euphoric Champions Trophy triumph. Be it in the Power Play, middle-overs or death overs, he has galvanised his fast bowlers into wicket-taking weapons.

#1 Natural captain since U-19 days

Sarfraz Ahmed led Pakistan to the U-19 World Cup title in 2006

Sarfraz's leadership traits have been evident right from his formative years. In 2006, he became the first captain to successfully defend the U-19 Cricket World Cup.

Pakistan had won the previous edition in 2004 under Khalid Latif's captaincy. Their chances of replicating the feat in 2006 took a massive hit when they were bundled out for a meager total of 109 by India.

However, Sarfraz injected belief into the demoralised bunch by insisting that they had the fire-power to defend the paltry score. The skipper supported his fast bowlers by giving them aggressive field-placements at the beginning of the innings. Anwar Ali duly proceeded to bowl the spell of his life and routed a dangerous Indian batting lineup for just 71 runs.

Extra Cover: India's 2006 under-19 World Cup squad - Where are they now?

An 'amazed' Mansoor Rana, who served as Pakistan coach during the 2006 tournament, gave an indication of things to come. Following the team's miraculous victory in the title clash, he said, "Sarfraz has a bright future because captaining the side here has shown that he has what it takes to lead at a higher level and he is already the captain of a first-class team."

Almost a decade later, the former Pakistan batsman's words have become a self-fulfilling prophecy.