Former Pakistan wicket-keeper Moin Khan lashed out as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for their decision to sack Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain of T20I and Test sides. Test opener Azhar Ali was named as skipper in the longest format while top-order maestro Babar Azam was handed over the reigns of T20I side on Friday. Moin Khan has now claimed that head coach cum chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis never liked Sarfaraz and that paved way for his sacking as captain.
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“Misbah and Waqar never liked Sarfaraz,” Moin Khan was quoted as saying by Ary News. “I am shocked that the PCB has removed Sarfaraz from captaincy in T20 cricket.”
“He has led Pakistan to 11 consecutive T20 series wins and you can’t remove him due to few poor performances.
“I think making a single person too powerful won’t work for Pakistan’s cricket,” he added.
Besides being stripped off captaincy, Sarfaraz has also been dropped for the upcoming tour of Australia, where Pakistan will play three T20Is and two Tests. His axing was on the cards after the team’s home series defeat to a depleted Sri Lanka in T20Is.
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar had earlier said he had been telling Sarfaraz to pull up his socks since last two years and therefore no one else is responsible for his sacking.
{{/usCountry}}Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar had earlier said he had been telling Sarfaraz to pull up his socks since last two years and therefore no one else is responsible for his sacking.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: PCB chairman reveals reason behind Sarfaraz’s exclusion from Tests, T20Is
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Akhtar said: “The situation which has occurred is due to his own fault. It was not someone else’s fault.”
“I also want to tell you that they will not even keep him in the team. I can guarantee that right now. They will not give him a chance in the team,” he added. The Rawalpindi Express further termed Ahmed a ‘timid’ captain.
“Since the last two years, we have been looking, where his positive mindset and aggressive batting went. He could not get out of the influence of Mickey Arthur and was unable to make any decision. He was also unable to make selections. I feel he was a timid captain,” he said.