What’s the story?
Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has backed Sarfraz Ahmed to take over the team’s captaincy across all three formats. The 36-year old pointed to the wicket-keeper batsman‘s never-give-up attitude and street-smart personality while expressing his views.
During the renovation ceremony of the Mass Communication Department at the Karachi University (KU), Afridi insisted, “Sarfraz (Ahmed) is a fighter and Pakistan needs a fighter right now. He has the ability to captain Pakistan in all three formats.” The renovation was carried out from funds disbursed by the leg-spinner’s NGO Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF).
On his future plans and the importance of fitness in cricket, the all-rounder added, “I have played enough international cricket for Pakistan. I am focusing more on T20 leagues now. Fitness is very important when you are playing cricket. Players should pay special attention to it. Look at (former Pakistan captain) Imran Khan. He still keeps himself fit (at the age of 64).”
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According to various reports, Sarfraz is likely to take over the ODI captaincy from Azhar Ali. However, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are touted to be considering the idea of split captaincy with the latter tipped to succeed Misbah-ul-Haq in Tests.
The heart of the matter
Azhar is under massive pressure following Pakistan’s poor run of form in the 50-overs format. Currently ranked eighth in the ICC rankings, they find themselves in serious danger of missing out on automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup.
Upon returning from the 1-4 defeat in Australia, the skipper was greeted with taunts from angry fans at Lahore Airport. With Misbah on his last legs, Pakistan’s Test captaincy is also up for grabs. The veteran has stated that he will think about his future only after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) ends.
They do not have any international commitments until a tour of West Indies beginning on March 31. Sarfraz, already Pakistan’s T20I skipper, could take over the ODI mantle as well for the 3-match series in the Caribbean.
What next?
The second edition of the PSL will be the next assignment for the country’s cricketers. All eyes will be on Sarfraz who leads last year's runner-up Quetta Gladiators. Meanwhile, Azhar is set to play for Lahore Qalandars under Brendon McCullum’s captaincy.
Sportskeeda‘s Take
Considering the fact that Sarfraz commands a place as wicket-keeper batsman across all three formats, he stands out as the ideal choice to captain Pakistan. As MS Dhoni pointed out while stepping down from the limited-overs mantle, split captaincy does not work despite contrary perceptions.
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