Azhar Ali steps down as ODI captain, Sarfraz Ahmed chosen as successor

Under fire for Pakistan’s spate of poor performances in the recent past, Azhar Ali has stepped down from ODI captaincy. Sarfraz Ahmed will take over the leadership mantle with immediate effect. Already the T20I captain, the wicket-keeper batsman’s maiden assignment as ODI skipper will be in the West Indies during April.

Following the team’s 1-4 defeat in Australia, the noose tightened around Azhar‘s neck with several former players publicly calling for his removal. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have gone for the most popular choice in Sarfraz.

While informing the board of his decision to relinquish the role, Azhar cited the effects that the rigours of captaincy have had on his form with the bat. Interestingly, he will also miss Pakistan’s next 50-overs contest after receiving an one-match suspension for poor over-rate during the fifth ODI against Australia in Adelaide.

“After Azhar's offer (to step down), I discussed the matter with head coach Mickey Arthur, Chief Selector Inzamam ul Haq and other senior officials and we mutualy decided to appoint Sarfraz as the new captain“, PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan was quoted as saying by Dawn.

Since taking over from Misbah-ul-Haq, Azhar oversaw a steady decline in Pakistan’s ODI fortunes. During May of 2016, they even managed to slip to a national record-low of ninth in the ODI rankings. They are currently at eighth and in serious danger of missing out on automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup.

Azhar’s captaincy stint began on a woeful note, with Pakistan suffering an ignominious 0-3 whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh. With series victories against Zimbabwe at home and Sri Lanka away, they somehow scraped through to qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy at the expense of West Indies.

From then on, Pakistan lost an ODI in Zimbabwe before subsiding to series defeats to England in their adopted home at UAE, and New Zealand away. Things soon turned worse when they conceded an all-time record of 444 runs in Trent Bridge and slipped to another heavy series loss.

Even though Ali got a reprieve during the 3-0 hammering of West Indies at UAE, it proved to be a false dawn as Pakistan’s inability to adapt to the modern-day aspects of ODI cricket were exposed in Australia. The fielding, in particular, became appalling with each passing game and the body language of the players indicated a lack of belief in their ability.

Extra Cover: Shahid Afridi wants Sarfraz Ahmed to captain Pakistan in all three formats

With Sarfraz’s appointment, PCB would be hoping for a change in the team’s mindset as well as their approach towards the 50-overs format. At 29, Pakistan’s first-choice gloveman across all three formats is a couple of years younger than Azhar. Rated highly for his street-smart batting, he has had a successful start to his T20I captaincy as evidenced by four straight victories including a 3-0 clean sweep of World T20 holders West Indies.

Having led his country to the U-19 World Cup title back in 2006, Sarfraz’s leadership skills were enhanced when he led Quetta Gladiators to the final of the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL). Meanwhile, Azhar will be hoping to contribute to the team’s cause by batting solidly from the top of the order.

The 3-match series in West Indies should carry enormous significance for Pakistan as only three rating points separate the eighth and ninth ranked teams. As of 30^th September 2017, the top seven sides apart from hosts England (presently ranked fifth) earn direct qualification for the 2019 World Cup.