Waqar Younis: “Sarfaraz Ahmed has scored 25 runs in 25 deliveries. A man who came in at number six is supposed to be a finisher with a strike rate of 150 or 160. Sarfaraz has a strike rate of 100; you aren’t going to win games like that”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Waqar Younis, the legendary Pakistan pace bowler, said wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed is not a finisher.
His comments come after Sarfaraz captained the Quetta Gladiators in the 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL).
In the eight matches he played, the 36-year-old scored 162 runs at an average of 27 and a strike-rate of 104.51.
The Gladiators finished at the bottom of the points table in PSL 8 as they only won three out of the 10 games they played.
Waqar noted that he is not surprised, especially considering that Sarfaraz’s strike-rate was just over 100 when he is batting in the pivotal number six position, which is usually reserved for big-hitting batsmen that can score quick runs and win matches.
“Sarfaraz Ahmed has scored 25 runs in 25 deliveries. A man who came in at number six is supposed to be a finisher with a strike rate of 150 or 160. Sarfaraz has a strike rate of 100; you aren’t going to win games like that,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Sarfaraz was not selected for Pakistan’s recent limited overs series against New Zealand. The five-match T20I series ended as a 2-2 draw, while the men in green won the ODI series 4-1.