Former Pakistan cricketer bats for Sarfaraz Ahmed as Test vice-captain

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named a 16-member squad last week for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Babar Azam will lead the Pakistan cricket team in the series scheduled to take place in July. Mohammad Rizwan, on the other hand, retained his role as the vice-captain of the team. The decision to name Rizwan as Babar’s deputy, seems to have not gone down well with former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif. The ex-wicketkeeper stated that Sarfaraz Ahmed should have been appointed as the vice-captain of the Pakistan Test team. Criticising the decision to name Rizwan as the vice-captain, Latif said that Sarfaraz’s experience and performance suit him for the role.

"Sarfaraz is the kind of player they [PCB] could have named the vice-captain on this tour. He is capable. He made a comeback after Rizwan's drop in form. Sarfaraz will be part of the playing XI due to previous performance. So retaining Rizwan as vice-captain is not justifiable," Rashid Latif said on YouTube channel Caught Behind.

A terrific comeback

Sarfaraz Ahmed made his Test comeback during the series against New Zealand in December last year. The move to bring back Sarfaraz in the playing XI paid off as the 36-year-old was in sublime form in the two-match Test series against the Kiwis. Coming as Mohammad Rizwan’s replacement, Sarfaraz scored 335 runs in the series at an impressive average of 83.75. Sarfaraz’s brilliant campaign against New Zealand comprised three half centuries and one ton. He had also emerged as the top run-scorer in the Test series. Sarfaraz, quite unsurprisingly, was adjudged Man of the Series for his magnificent batting.

In Tests, Sarfaraz Ahmed has till now represented Pakistan in 51 matches. The Karachi-born has so far scored 2992 Test runs at an average of 38.85. Overall, Sarfaraz has four centuries and 21 half centuries to his name in red-ball cricket.

Morne Morkel’s appointment

The PCB, on the other hand, announced that former South Africa fast bowler, Morne Morkel has been appointed as the new bowling coach for the national team. According to media reports, Morkel will be a part of the Pakistan coaching staff during the Test series against Sri Lanka. The two matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be a part of the new World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood