Nadeem Omar: “People say that he can’t hit big shots but he uses the pace as [he] has the experience”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar has defended former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, saying people are wrong to assume that he “can’t hit big shots”.
He noted that instead of using brute strength and power, Sarfaraz instead utilises the bowler’s pace to play effective attacking strokes.
Since the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman captains the Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Nadeem has seen this first-hand.
“People say that he can’t hit big shots but he uses the pace as [he] has the experience,” he was quoted as saying by A Sports.
The 35-year-old Sarfaraz was recently in action for Pakistan during their two-Test series against New Zealand.
Usually, Mohammad Rizwan is the first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman in the national team, but having been offered a lifeline to resurrect his international career, Sarfaraz didn’t hesitate to make the most of it.
He scored 335 runs, which included a career-best 118 and three fifties, at an average of 83.75 as the series concluded as a 0-0 draw.
Rizwan retook his spot behind the stumps in the three-match ODI series that followed and made 182 runs, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 91.
Despite having a major impact with the bat, the men in green went on to lose the series 2-1.
While Sarfaraz will lead the Gladiators in the PSL, Rizwan will captain the Multan Sultans, who have had a couple of strong seasons under him.
PSL 8 is scheduled to take place from February 13 to March 19 in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi and Quetta.