PAK vs SL | Sarfaraz Ahmed is a confused captain, says Shoaib Akhtar

10/07/2019

Shoaib Akhtar has been quite vocal about Pakistan’s failures recently and has once again slammed skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed after the 64-run defeat to an eighth-ranked Sri Lanka in Lahore. He also expressed his concern regarding the skipper’s recent form and urged him to bat up the order.

The Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib Akhtar, has once again lashed out at skipper Sarfaraz following the recent loss to a second-string Sri Lanka team. This humiliating defeat is also the Lankans' biggest victory over Pakistan in T20Is.

The former Pakistan pacer went all guns blazing against the 32-year-old wicket keeper after the loss. He called him a “confused captain” and also questioned his recent form with the bat. He also went on to advise him to promote himself up the order to spend some more time at the crease and regain his confidence in himself.

“Sarfaraz as a captain is confused, I have been telling him for the past two years to bat higher up the order. The decline in Sarfaraz’s form is because he has not bat for the past two years, and now he is trying to do so but is unable to score runs,” Business Recorder reported Akhtar saying so in his YouTube video.

“We have been telling him (Sarfaraz) to correct his batting number as Pakistan needs him more as a batsman than as a captain. If Sarfaraz mints runs with the bat it would be beneficial for him in the long run,” the former Pakistan pacer added.

The match was clearly in Pakistan’s yard as they won the toss and chose to chase at the Gaddafi Stadium where the conditions were perfect for a chase. Sri Lanka did a commendable job posting a challenging total of 165 despite teenage pacer Mohammad Hasnain’s hattrick. Opener Dinushka Gunathilaka (57) top-scored for Sri Lanka.

But Pakistan made a complete mess of the situation when they were reduced to 22 for 3, losing the No. 1 T20 batsman of the World Babar Azam, after which they were never able to regroup as Isuru Udana and Nuwan Pradeep, who took 3 wickets each, went through the remaining of their batting lineup with some help from Wanindu Hasaranga, who prized 2 wickets.

The second of the three T20Is will also be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday.