MS Dhoni hasn’t only been a superlative cricketer, but also a source of inspiration for many players, both budding and established. Recently, Jos Buttler mentioned how he took a leaf out of his books to help England to victory from a pressure cooker situation. Dhoni used to sport a swashbuckling outlook at the start of his career but gradually turned himself into a calm and collected personality.
Apart from Buttler, the likes of Mohammad Shahzad, the Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman, and a number of prominent figures have been left awestruck by Dhoni’s fervour to play the sport. In his list of admirers, another name- Sarfraz Ahmed has been added. The Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman put forth his appreciation for Dhoni prior to Pakistan’s triangular T20I series with Zimbabwe and Australia.
“MS Dhoni has led his side well as a captain in all three formats of the game, so I definitely do get inspired by him, I have only met him once, which was at the 4th June 2017 during the India-Pakistan game. When I look at him as a player and as a captain, I definitely get inspired by him,” Sarfraz was quoted as saying in the pre-series press conference.
The road ahead for Sarfraz
Pakistan are currently the number one ranked team in T20Is and quite expectantly, a lot is expected from the Sarfraz Ahmed-led side. The Aussies are behind them on the second spot and will look to give the Men in Green a run for their money. Zimbabwe can’t be undermined either as they are playing at home. The matches will be played from July 1 at the Harare Sports Club.
Sarfraz’s role doesn’t end there as his men will lock horns with Zimbabwe in a five-match ODI series after the completion of the T20I matches. The One-Dayers gets underway from July 13. They recently had an impressive tour of the UK with a Test victory over England at the iconic Lord’s. The Green Army also beat Scotland in the two-match T20I series.
