Sarfaraz Ahmed has been discharged from his captaincy duties of Pakistan from the longest and the shortest formats as reported by the country’s cricket board on Friday. It remains to be seen who will lead the team in ODIs, with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) saying that a decision will be “finalized in due course”.
Pakistan’s next ODI assignment is not until July 2020, a three-match series against the Netherlands in Amstelveen. The PCB said Azhar Ali will lead the side in Test matches, while Babar Azam will be leading the T20I squad. Not only has Sarfaraz lost his captaincy, but due to the “drop-in his overall form”, he has been dropped from both the Test and T20I sides.
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Pakistan’s new Test skipper Azhar Ali delighted with the new responsibility, said, “There is no bigger honor than to captain the Pakistan national cricket team in the pinnacle format of the game”. Babar will carry forward the legacy of his predecessor under whom the team achieved the No. 1 spot and help the team evolve into a “powerful side”. He said, “It is my responsibility to take forward Sarfaraz Ahmed’s accomplishments in T20Is so that we remain a consistent, attractive and powerful side.”
Azhar Ali has been made the Test captain for the World Test Championship in the 2019-20 season, while Babar Azam will lead the side in the shortest format shortest until next year’s ICC T20 World Cup Australia 2020.
Pakistan is scheduled to tour Australia for a three-match T20I series and a two-Test series. Ahmed, who led the Pakistani side in the World Cup 2019, has been dropped from both the squads “due to the drop in his overall form during the past few series”.
The outgoing skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed said he was honored to lead the side at the highest level. He also wished the new skippers well for future assignments.
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Sarfraz said, “It has been an honor to lead Pakistan at the highest level. I want to thank all my colleagues, coaches, and selectors who have helped me in this journey. My good wishes are with Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, and the Pakistan cricket team, and I hope they will continue to grow stronger and stronger.”
The decision on vice-captaincy will be made closer to the series, whilst captaincy for the ODIs will be finalized in due course as the national squad’s next assignment is scheduled from 4-9 July 2020 against the Netherlands in Amstelveen.
