Nadeem Omar: “Sarfaraz has proved [in PSL 6] that the Pakistan team still needs him”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar said wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed deserves to be in Pakistan’s playing XI.
Sarfaraz is currently the back-up to Mohammad Rizwan, who is Pakistan’s go-to wicketkeeper-batsman, and last played for Pakistan in September 2020.
The 33-year-old recently excelled in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he captained the Gladiators.
Prior to the tournament getting postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), he was the fifth-highest run-scorer with 185 runs in five games, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 37 and a strike-rate of 146.82.
“Sarfaraz has proved [in PSL 6] that the Pakistan team still needs him. Two wicketkeepers can play in a team. England have also played three or four wicketkeepers in their playing XI in the recent past,” Omar told Cricket Pakistan.
Sarfaraz’s next assignment will be the tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe, for which he was included in Pakistan’s Test, ODI and T20 squads.
Pakistan will play three ODIs and four T20 Internationals against South Africa before heading to Zimbabwe for two Tests and three T20 Internationals.
Pakistan’s tour of South Africa commenced on April 2 and will conclude on April 16. The ODI series will be played first.
The men in green will then head to Zimbabwe on April 17 and play the three-match T20 series from April 21 to 25 in Harare.
Both Tests will take place at the same venue, with the first match starting on April 29 and the second Test getting underway on May 7.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the national team will travel back to Lahore from Harare on May 12.
Pakistan’s Test Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Imran Butt, Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Tabish Khan, Hasan Ali, Shahnawaz Dhani, Nauman Ali, Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan.
Pakistan’s ODI Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali.
Pakistan’s T20 Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali, Arshad Iqbal.
Pakistan need to play Haider ali instead of asif and Hasan all instead of husnain, usman qadir should be playing as well against South Africa because they are tough team u should play your best players who can win matches