"Quetta Gladiators haven’t done their homework" - Shahid Afridi thinks PSL franchise should sack Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has opined that Quetta Gladiators should relieve Sarfaraz Ahmed from the team's captaincy duties. He feels that Ahmed can perform much better for the franchise if there is less pressure on his shoulders.

Playing under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed, Quetta Gladiators have won only one of their five matches in PSL 2023 so far. They started their season with a nine-wicket defeat against Multan Sultans, which was followed by a close win over Karachi Kings. Quetta then suffered a hat-trick of losses in their next three matches.

Speaking on a local news channel, Shahid Afridi shared his thoughts on Quetta's performance, saying:

"I had a chat with Nadeem Omar before the season as well, that they should play Sarfaraz only as a player, so there is less pressure on him and he can enjoy his game.

"Quetta Gladiators haven’t done their homework well this season. Plus, they are constantly chopping and changing their line-up," he added.

The former Pakistan captain further pointed out that the Quetta Gladiators did not show much seriousness while forming their PSL 2023 squad.

"On what basis have they included Umar Akmal in the team? Was his fitness up to the mark? These things show if the team was serious enough when they were picking the squad," Afridi concluded.

Sarfaraz Ahmed will lead Quetta Gladiators against Lahore Qalandars on Thursday

The Quetta Gladiators are currently on a break in the 2023 Pakistan Super League season. They will aim to make a fresh start to their tournament when they lock horns with defending champions Lahore Qalandars on Thursday evening.

It will be interesting to see if the Gladiators retain Sarfaraz Ahmed as their captain. They are in a virtual do-or-die situation now and need to win their remaining matches to stay alive in the race to the PSL 2023 playoffs.