Sarfaraz has ability to lead Pakistan in all 3 formats: Shahid Afridi

Former Pakistan ODI and T20I captain and maverick all rounder Shahid Afridi believes current T20I captain Sarfraz Khan has all the right ingredients desirable in a leader. With 42-year-old Misbah undecided on his test future after 6 consecutive Test defeats, and growing pressure on current ODI captain Azhar Ali under whom Pakistan is struggling to directly qualify for the World Cup, Sarfraz Ahmed is reported to be their successor.

Having already established himself as a valuable player in all three formats, the 29-year-old has been one of the best batsmen for Pakistan in recent times especially on the tough tours of Australia and New Zealand.

Afridi’s comments come after intense speculation surrounding Azhar Ali’s place in the side and comes after representatives from PCB explicitly stated that Sarfraz was likely to take over if there is a poor showing in Australia. As Pakistan slumped to yet another ODI series defeat under Azha to end the tour with just one win out of 8 matches, big changes in the Pakistan setup look imminent, the most important of which is a change in the hands of captaincy.

“Sarfraz is a fighter and Pakistan needs a fighter right now,” said Afridi, speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the recently renovated Mass Communication Department at the Karachi University (KU)

“He has the ability to captain Pakistan in all three formats.” The 36 year old limited overs specialist also advocated the importance of fitness in the overall growth of a player. “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,” said Afridi.