In the last thirty International innings— whether tests or limited overs games— Sarfaraz Nawaz has averaged less than 20. He had stormed into the imagination of the cricket lovers of the country through three stunning centuries one after the other. Karachi-lovers who had seen nothing of significance since Miandad the great, were overjoyed and were quick to eulogize Sarfaraz in a manner as though Gilchrist had taken a second birth — luckily in Pakistan this time.
Not only were his batting skills eulogized but also his leadership qualities. A massive media campaign from Karachi convinced the Chief Selector and company that unless Sarfaraz was made captain in all the three formats of the game, cricket in Pakistan would rush towards a sad burial.
Quite clearly Inzamam ul Haque, a straightforward simpleton, has been overwhelmed by those surrounding him— among them the most significant being the Head Coach Micky Arther who might go down into history as being the one to ruin the most careers in the country. Can a sensible Coach tell the team’s star bowler: You are not taking wickets; therefore you are out.?”
The sensible leader’s advice would be: “Buddy you are our main strike bowler and I think you need rest to come back with enhanced wicket-hunger.”
Something did go wrong with such classy performers as Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam. They somehow decided to match the performance of their skipper, whose body language never rose to the level of a man determined to win, and confident of winning.
After the Australian tour let there be re-thinking. We need a shrewd steel-nerved leader in the Tests, an aggressive planner in the ODIs and a master-blaster in the T-20s.
You have to be an Imran Khan to lead in all the formats.
Why are England Australia and New Zealand following different policies in the different formats? Eion Morgan leads the ODI team but has no place in the test side.
Retain Sarfaraz as T-20 captain and ask him to tear apart the opposition. If he can’t, let us give him an honourable farewell.
Note: Shaheen Afridi and Junaid Khan should be cursing themselves for having performed so outstandingly in the match again Bangladesh!
