I think I still have a lot to do for Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed is in no mood to be complacent. He recently led the Pakistani team to the title win in the ICC Champions Trophy. He believes that the win is only the first step towards what the team ultimately wishes to attain. Recently, even Imad Wasim had conceded that the team now aims to win the World T20.

As per the quotes to PakPassion.net, Sarfraz spoke at length about his captaincy and his plans for the future. He even reflected back at how things changed for the team after the CT win. Sarfraz Ahmed conceded that the kind of reception the team got after the win was amazing. He noted that perhaps a similar reception was given to the team after the team had won the 1992 World Cup.

“I think this is the happiest moment of my career and it’s a big achievement for myself and my family. Our motto when we reached for the CT was that we wanted to win the tournament. All of us made a lot of mistakes in the first match against India and we were very low on confidence. I haven’t seen a similar welcome by the fans compared to the one we got on our arrival back home after winning the CT. Maybe there was a similar reception for the 92 team but I was very young then,” quoted Sarfraz Ahmed.

On PSL

Sarfraz also credited the success to the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He cited that the T20 league has helped the younger players adapt to condition and pressure situations a lot better. The likes of Fakhar Zaman and Fahim Ashraf are the products of PSL.

“PSL has made a big difference. International and domestic cricket differs because of crowd pressure. We’ve seen 4-5 players come to the national team due to PSL performances. When they get used to playing big matches then they don’t feel pressure on the big stage,” he conceded.

On captaincy

Lastly, he conceded that he is still learning as the captain of the side. He is nowhere close to being what he is capable of being. He humbly noted that there is nothing great about him. During the CT, he just backed his players and that helped the team.

“I’m still learning, I don’t think that I’ve won the CT and am now some great captain. In cricket, you are learning every day. I try to not repeat the same mistakes. I told my bowlers that I want wickets and I trust them, they should tell me what field they want. There’s no truth to rumors that I don’t take advice from seniors. Hafeez bhai and Shoaib bhai give me advice and I also go to them. Being captain of the country is a big honour.” said Sarfraz Ahmed.

He further added that being the captain of the team is a big honor for the team. He hopes to enjoy doing the job like he is doing right not. He feels that the Champions Trophy win is just the first step. Now, the team is back to the drawing board and is keen on doing well in the upcoming international assignments for the team. The ultimate aim is to get consistency.

“Being captain of a country isn’t an easy thing for anyone, specially in Pakistan where you know that one mistake will get you in trouble. Thankfully things are going well and I am trying to enjoy it. I try to help my team whenever I can. I don’t think that I’ve played a lot of cricket, I think it’s starting days for me and I have a lot to learn and a lot to do for Pakistan,” said the Pakistan skipper.

“When I see the ICC Trophy, I think I still have a lot to do for Pakistan and haven’t done anything yet. We will try to bring consistency in the Pakistan team. We want to now forget the CT and look forward to the upcoming series and do well,” he added further.