Pakistan cricket team is beginning a new era with Babar Azam as the One Day International captain but former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief selector and skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq feels Sarfaraz Ahmed deserved more time at the helm.
Sarfaraz was removed as Pakistan skipper and was even dropped from all formats after the Men in Green lost to a second-string Sri Lanka in the T20I series. While Babar was then made the T20I skipper, Azhar Ali took over the reins as Test captain. After the PCB announced the new central contract for the 2020-21 season, Babar was also given the ODI captaincy.
“Even in the last World Cup, I felt the captain and players were under pressure because they were thinking if we don’t do well in the tournament we will be out. That environment was created and this is not good for cricket,” Inzamam said.
“Sarfaraz achieved some notable victories for Pakistan and was learning to be a good captain but unfortunately when he had learnt from experience and mistakes he was removed as captain,” the former captain told a TV channel.
It was Sarfaraz who led the Pakistan team to its famous victory over India in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final. It was under the wicket-keeper batsman’s leadership that Pakistan had become the No. 1 T20 side in the world. Inzamam, hence, is of the opinion that the PCB acted rather hastily after the World Cup in England & Wales and wrongly decided to remove Sarfaraz.
“Sarfaraz won us the Champions Trophy and also made the team number one in T20 cricket. He got us some good wins. He should have been given more time as captain by the board but it acted in haste and didn’t give him confidence or patience.”
