With Pakistan on the verge of an early World Cup 2019 exit it is obviously fashionable to criticise the skipper. But most of the criticism actually fails to address the real issues, which are:
1. Why has Sarfraz gone into such steep decline with both bat and gloves since 2016?
In England in 2016, Sarfraz was Pakistan’s only world class player, a keeper-batsman of similar quality to Tim Paine. He was never going to be a Gilchrist or even Moin Khan with the bat but, like Rashid Latif, he was an excellent keeper who could bat a bit
His keeping has declined with his fitness, but his batting has fallen apart, and in South Africa and even at home to New Zealand in Tests he showed a complete inability to leave the ball outside off-stump.
2. Why is his fitness so poor?
Sarfaraz has been clearly overweight for the last two years. But more than that, he does not look like a man who celebrated his 32nd birthday less than a month ago.
Pakistan has an almost comical history of age-cheating from Waqar Younis through to Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan.
Is it possible that Pakistan might be waiting for a 32 year old to regain form when they are in reality watching a 35 or 37 year old grapple with age-related decline?
3. Is Sarfaraz the best available wicketkeeper-batsman?
You only need to look back 20 years to the “Adam Parore replaced by Lee Germon” debacle to see the chaos that follows when you omit a superior player to accommodate an inferior captain.
Is there really anybody left who thinks that Mohammad Rizwan would not score more runs in every format of the game?
4. Why is Sarfaraz’ political lobbying tolerated? Or his Sergeant-Major approach to captaincy?
In the 36 hours since the defeat by India we have heard a series of leaks by favoured journalists which seek to portray Sarfaraz as an aggrieved skipper betrayed by key players.
That in itself would be bad enough, but this lobbying actually names names - players, the coach and even the chief selector - and is in itself both destructive and undermining of the team and management.
It raises major questions about Sarfaraz’ understanding of the role of a leader. And unfortunately it fits totally with what we see on the pitch.
Sarfaraz has never shown any sign of leading in a sophisticated way. He cannot motivate or inspire his charges: rather he berates them like a junior Army Officer or an angry fishwife.
How has the situation been allowed to drift so far? In most other countries the appalling racist comments made by Sarfaraz (in South Africa of all places!) would have ended his career as skipper and left Rizwan in pole position to take over. For the PCB it should have been the ideal pretext for an overdue but essential change, from Sarfaraz to Rizwan.
Instead Pakistan has let this situation drift, and now faces the inevitable consequences.
Yes, of course it is a failure of Sarfaraz himself to neglect his fitness and technique and to lead the team on the pitch like an angry fishwife.
But how have Inzamam and Arthur (and Ehsan Mani) allowed this situation to drift on into a World Cup?
1. Why has Sarfraz gone into such steep decline with both bat and gloves since 2016?
In England in 2016, Sarfraz was Pakistan’s only world class player, a keeper-batsman of similar quality to Tim Paine. He was never going to be a Gilchrist or even Moin Khan with the bat but, like Rashid Latif, he was an excellent keeper who could bat a bit
His keeping has declined with his fitness, but his batting has fallen apart, and in South Africa and even at home to New Zealand in Tests he showed a complete inability to leave the ball outside off-stump.
2. Why is his fitness so poor?
Sarfaraz has been clearly overweight for the last two years. But more than that, he does not look like a man who celebrated his 32nd birthday less than a month ago.
Pakistan has an almost comical history of age-cheating from Waqar Younis through to Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan.
Is it possible that Pakistan might be waiting for a 32 year old to regain form when they are in reality watching a 35 or 37 year old grapple with age-related decline?
3. Is Sarfaraz the best available wicketkeeper-batsman?
You only need to look back 20 years to the “Adam Parore replaced by Lee Germon” debacle to see the chaos that follows when you omit a superior player to accommodate an inferior captain.
Is there really anybody left who thinks that Mohammad Rizwan would not score more runs in every format of the game?
4. Why is Sarfaraz’ political lobbying tolerated? Or his Sergeant-Major approach to captaincy?
In the 36 hours since the defeat by India we have heard a series of leaks by favoured journalists which seek to portray Sarfaraz as an aggrieved skipper betrayed by key players.
That in itself would be bad enough, but this lobbying actually names names - players, the coach and even the chief selector - and is in itself both destructive and undermining of the team and management.
It raises major questions about Sarfaraz’ understanding of the role of a leader. And unfortunately it fits totally with what we see on the pitch.
Sarfaraz has never shown any sign of leading in a sophisticated way. He cannot motivate or inspire his charges: rather he berates them like a junior Army Officer or an angry fishwife.
How has the situation been allowed to drift so far? In most other countries the appalling racist comments made by Sarfaraz (in South Africa of all places!) would have ended his career as skipper and left Rizwan in pole position to take over. For the PCB it should have been the ideal pretext for an overdue but essential change, from Sarfaraz to Rizwan.
Instead Pakistan has let this situation drift, and now faces the inevitable consequences.
Yes, of course it is a failure of Sarfaraz himself to neglect his fitness and technique and to lead the team on the pitch like an angry fishwife.
But how have Inzamam and Arthur (and Ehsan Mani) allowed this situation to drift on into a World Cup?
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