Sarfraz Ahmed excited about leading the Pakistan side in T20Is

Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed hopes to put the lessons he has learnt from playing under the captaincy of Misbah-ul-Haq to good effect in the solitary T20I against England at Old Trafford on Wednesday. This will be Sarfraz’s first match in charge of Pakistan since he was appointed the T20 captain after a disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup in India.

The 29-year-old has been a revelation in Pakistan cricket and was the standout performer for them in the recently concluded ODI series against England. He scored a majestic century in the 2nd ODI and backed it up with a match-winning 90 in the final encounter. Though Pakistan lost the series 1-4, Sarfraz Ahmed was a bright spot for the Asian giants have slipped to their lowest ever rankings in ODI.

Victory at Old Trafford on Wednesday would see Pakistan finish the tour on a high even if England have already wrapped the multi-format Super Series.

"I am really excited about the captaincy," Ahmed told an Old Trafford news conference on Tuesday.

"Representing the country is a big achievement, but I am really excited to lead. I am trying to lead everything and to play positive cricket and win tomorrow.” Ahmed said. Under Misbah, who is no longer a part of the white ball setup, Pakistan has risen to the top of the rankings in Test cricket but their condition in ODI cricket is totally the opposite. With a string of lackluster performances in the recent past Pakistan are in danger of losing out direct qualification in the 2019 ICC World Cup in England.

Sarfraz has been their mainstay across all formats and has been tipped by experts to be handed over the ODI captaincy from Azhar Ali. The wicket-keeper said that the Test team was settled as they have played together for 6 years but it is not the same in limited overs cricket but there win in the final encounter will surely bolster their confidence.

"After the World Cup, we are trying to develop a new ODI team and the morale is high after Cardiff. It’s a positive thing for us to win from 4-0 down -- a great achievement chasing 300 outside of Asia.” Ahmed said.

"We are very confident. We are trying to develop a new team with youngsters and play Twenty20 like England and Australia."

Meanwhile, Sarfraz will look to follow the footsteps of Misbah-ul-Haq who has been an inspirational leader for the nation in turbulent conditions for Pakistan and have propelled them to the No.1 position in Test cricket for the very first time in their history.

"I think Misbah is an inspiration for all the team - he inspired me," he said. "I have developed something from him and will try my best," Ahmed said.

Moreover, it has been an enterprising Pakistan side who have restored their reputation in World cricket after the spot-fixing scandal blighted their last visit in 2010.