Sarfraz Ahmed: “Leading Pak in all formats not a burden”

Insisting that it is a great honour for him to be appointed as the captain in all three formats of the game, Sarfraz said that he has always tried to give his 100 percent while enjoying the game.

Sarfraz Ahmed said that he is disappointed by Pakistan’s defeat against New Zealand.

Dismissing the impression that leading the national team in across three formats of the game is burdening him, Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed said that he has always tried to bring the best out of the team in every format of the game.

Insisting that it is a great honour for him to be appointed as the captain in all three formats of the game, Sarfraz said that he has always tried to give his 100 percent while enjoying the game.

“It is great honour for me that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed me captain in all three formats; and this [responsibility] in no way is burdening me,” the Dawn quoted Sarfraz, as saying. "I have always enjoyed playing cricket in every format and tried to produce my best and bring the best out of the national team [as captain],” the 30-year-old added. Under Sarfraz, Pakistan had recently lost the ODI series against New Zealand by 0-5, but had won the T20I series against the same.

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The Pakistan skipper, who rose to fame after guiding the national side to ICC Champions Trophy glory in 2017, said that he is also disappointed by the side’s defeat against New Zealand, adding that its batting did not click according to the plans. “We could have won at least two ODIs [in New Zealand]. But in the end the result went against us. The batting, which has some flaws, did not click according to our plans,” Sarfraz said. Recently, former cricketer Moin Khan had called on the PCB to extend the tenure of national skipper Sarfraz Ahmed for at least by two more years in order to avoid potential dressing room conflicts.

It should be noted that the Pakistan cricket has seen much internal strife between rival clique, including the infamous Waqar Younis-led mutiny against the then skipper Wasim Akram during the 1990s.

Such conflicts reared its head again when Hasan Ali stared at Sarfraz in an act of apparent dissent after the skipper criticised the fast-bowler for some wayward bowling during the tour to New Zealand. Sarfraz was named Pakistan’s ODI captain on February 9, 2017 after Azhar Ali stepped down from the role.