Sarfraz Ahmed appointed Pak T20 captain

A statement on the PCB website described Ahmed — who led the Quetta Gladiators to the final in Pakistan’s first-ever franchise-based T20 league in February — as a "natural choice" for the position after Shahid Afridi stepped down following his side's humiliating early exit from the World T20.

Published : Apr 05, 2016 14:51 IST , Islamabad

Sarfraz Ahmed (right) will take over the reins of T20 captaincy from Shahid Afridi.
Sarfraz Ahmed (right) will take over the reins of T20 captaincy from Shahid Afridi.
lightbox-info

Sarfraz Ahmed (right) will take over the reins of T20 captaincy from Shahid Afridi.

Pakistan's Cricket Board on Tuesday announced Sarfraz Ahmed as new captain of the T20 team after Shahid Afridi stepped down following his side's humiliating early exit from the World T20.

A statement on the PCB website described Ahmed — who led the Quetta Gladiators to the final in Pakistan’s first-ever franchise-based T20 league in February — as a “natural choice” for the position.

“I spoke to Sarfraz this morning and conveyed to him that he was our natural choice for this position. His appointment is open-ended. I wish him good luck in his new role,” it quoted PCB chairman Shahryar Khan as saying.

Afridi resigned as captain on Sunday after his team's exit from the tournament's group stage. Waqar Younis resigned as head coach of the Pakistan team on Monday.

The 2009 T20 champion was widely criticised for a lacklustre performance at the latest tournament, with just one victory against unfancied Bangladesh and big losses to India, New Zealand and Australia. Veterans like Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik have been singled out.

Ahmed, a 28-year right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman, has played 21 T20 Internationals and the same number of Test matches as well as 58 One-Day internationals.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment