Rashid Latif: “Sarfaraz is the kind of player they (PCB) could have named the vice-captain on this tour (Sri Lanka). He is capable. He made a comeback after Rizwan’s drop in form”
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Rashid Latif, the former captain, believes Pakistan should have named wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed vice-captain of the Test team when he made his comeback.
Sarfaraz replaced Mohammad Rizwan in the playing XI during the two-Test series against New Zealand from December 2022 to January 2023.
In that series, he was brilliant as he racked up 335 runs, which included a century and three fifties, at an average of 83.75.
The 36-year-old former captain from Karachi also featured in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, where he mustered 32 runs at an average of 16. Sarfaraz had to be replaced by Rizwan in the second Test in Colombo after being struck on the helmet.
Since Sarfaraz has leapfrogged Rizwan to become the go-to wicketkeeper-batsman in Test cricket, Latif wants Pakistan to hand him the vice-captaincy since he does possess leadership experience.
“Sarfaraz is the kind of player they (PCB) could have named the vice-captain on this tour (Sri Lanka). He is capable. He made a comeback after Rizwan’s drop in form,” he said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Sarfaraz was not picked for Pakistan’s three-match ODI series against Afghanistan or the recent Asia Cup.
He also isn’t in the team for the upcoming 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India, which starts on October 5.
Pakistan’s first match will be against the Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali