Aaqib Javed: “It is good that Sarfraz Ahmed came back and performed well, but it doesn’t happen like that. You don’t play two Tests and shake the whole system”
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Former pace bowler Aaqib Javed doesn’t believe Sarfaraz Ahmed should replace Babar Azam as Pakistan captain.
There has been a lot of talk about the captaincy potentially being split following the national team’s dismal home season.
Pakistan were beaten 3-0 in their three-Test series against England and followed that up with consecutive draws in their two-Test series against New Zealand. The two teams then played three ODIs, with the men in green losing 2-1.
With Azam’s side failing to meet expectations, speculation began to increase that the 28-year-old would no longer be captaining Pakistan in all three formats.
However, Aaqib feels it would be a bad move for Sarfaraz to succeed Azam as Test captain.
The 35-year-old recently made his comeback in the longest format as he was picked ahead of first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan for Test series against New Zealand.
He went on to dominant in that series as he amassed 335 runs, which included a century and three fifties, at an average of 83.75.
Despite this, Aaqib said a couple of good performances doesn’t mean Sarfaraz should replace Azam as captain of the Test side.
“I wonder who is suggesting appointing different captains for different formats. It is good that Sarfraz Ahmed came back and performed well, but it doesn’t happen like that. You don’t play two Tests and shake the whole system,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“There is no Test in eight months. All this is being done based on agenda and propaganda. It is indeed a challenge to take all three formats together, as it is difficult for the coaches and the captain.”
Sarfaraz and Azam recently played in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where they captained the Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi respectively.
Sarfaraz scored 162 runs in eight matches at an average of 27 and a strike-rate of 104.51.
As for Azam, he made 522 runs in 11 games, which included a hundred and five half-centuries, at an average of 52.20 and a strike-rate of 145.40.
He then featured in the limited overs series against New Zealand, scoring 130 runs in five T20Is, which included a century, at an average of 43.33 and a strike-rate of 146.07.
The Lahore-born batsman then proceeded to make 276 runs in the five-match ODI series, which included a hundred and two half-centuries, at an average of 55.20.
Azam will now lead Pakistan in a two-Test series against Sri Lanka in July.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Test Series: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood