Yasir Arafat: “The decision to appoint Azhar Ali as Test captain is a good one and to me his appointment is a perfect case of having the right man for the right job”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Former Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat has praised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for appointing Azhar Ali as Test captain.

Azhar replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed in the leadership role, and his first assignment will be a two-Test series against Australia from November 21 to December 3.

“The decision to appoint Azhar Ali as Test captain is a good one and to me his appointment is a perfect case of having the right man for the right job,” Arafat wrote in his blog for PakPassion. “His playing experience, his behaviour and what I feel is his excellent ability to make right decisions are all indicators of future success and to me, and PCB have made an excellent choice.

“Looking at the recent below par performances of Pakistan’s Test side and the fact that Sarfaraz Ahmed seemed lumbered with too many expectations leading to poor form as captain and wicketkeeper, the decision to relieve him of the responsibility as Test captain is a superb one.

“Whilst Azhar may not have had a good recent series against South Africa, I believe he can pick himself up and a captain who can perform well as a leader can really inspire his side to better things. The PCB have taken a long-term view of the matter of Test captaincy and they need to be commended for that.”

In addition to losing the Test captaincy, Sarfaraz was also sacked as Twenty20 captain and replaced by Babar Azam.

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