"When things like this happen, you do start to think about [giving up captaincy]" : Sarfaraz Ahmed

[shaaik]

"When things like this happen, you do start to think about [giving up captaincy]" : Sarfaraz Ahmed

Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed speaking to the media:

"If you look at the result overall, you will see that we lost this series by our own fault"

"We had many opportunities like you see in the first match and this match as well"

"Our batting unit failed to take a big lead when we could have done so which caused us a lot of damage"

"We have been doing a lot of hardwork and our batting is very important and our lower order are not scoring that much as that is an area where if we get 50-60 runs more that really helps"

"If a batsman along with a tailender can get 15-20 runs that can really help"

"If we go into the 5th Day then we have to learn to bat better against the new ball"

"Obviously we have to be mentally strong when we play in South Africa"

"We will have to play with positive thoughts and that way we will get positive results [in SA]"

"Yes, this was a very disappointing Test series for us, as we got opportunities [to win] which we wasted"

"It is the responsibility of the toporder to score runs but sometimes if the lower-order gets a chance to help then they should also avail such opportunities [to help]"

"Yes its been a few matches where we have collapsed in the 5th Day and we have to look at it"

"If you look at the 1st Test, we didn't take a big lead and lost the match by 4 runs, even in this match we got the same chance to take a big lead which we did not do, and then suffered damage due to that"

"If we had taken a 100-150 lead in the first innings, then that would have mattered a lot and that mistake cost us a loss in this match"

"Look we have coaches who are doing their jobs but the players also have a responsibility and as a batting unit we will have to be a little strong as well"

"The new ball batting pair needs to set the momentum (for the rest) and if you know that we have a 5th day pitch where batting will not be easy, and you lose your wickets then the batsmen coming down the order will always be in pressure"

"This is what happened on the 5th day, we lost 2 early wickets and then when the spinners came on, the seam is hard and the ball grips more, and that is what happened with loss of 3 wickets in 2 overs and the whole complexion of the game changed"

"I had said this before start of the Test series that we need to be consistent"

"Their is a big responsibility on the batsmen also as the batting coach does his work and tells them about their weakness but its down to them to use their good form to take things further"

"We have a good example of Kane Williamson who is a top player, but in all this series he took it upon himself to take take his team forward"

"This is the issue with our batsmen, when they have played a big innings, then there is a gap of one or two innings before they can score big again

"For the team for South Africa, we have Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman and Shan Masood; As far as Shan is concerned, he was a top-performer from last year and he was also performing for the A team here"

As far as Abid Ali is concerned, he is definitely in the pipeline, if there is an opportunity or we have a problem in South Africa, Abid Ali should be number one [as replacement], especially in the top order position"

"If we talk of Mohammad Amir, the selection committee has watched his matches and said that he is in good rhythm which is why he has been selected in the team"

"Yes, this is a very painful matter and correct to say that if we can't win at home, then we won't do well in South Africa either but we will have to look at a few things [to fix]"

"Our bowling is doing well but we have to work very hard on our batting"

"If we are unable to score big runs here, then we will have a tougher challenge to face in South Africa"

We have to see who are the batsmen in the top-order who can play in South Africa against the new ball, and score runs"

shouldn't that be decided when you pick the team?

"You cannot take any [drastic] action as both [Azhar and Asad] are your senior batsmen and you cannot drop them just like that, they scored a century in the first innings at a time when the team needed their help and they got them out of a difficulty spot"

"Azhar got a good ball in the 2nd innings; if a batsman plays a bad shot then that's one thing but when he gets a good ball, he cannot do anything about it"

"This Test series loss is not due to one person but its the responsibility of the whole team, also mine as captain"

"I don't know if Mohammad Hafeez was thinking about this from before, obviously that was his own decision"

"Even I found out during the match that he was thinking like that"

"He must have thought something good about himself and Pakistan which is why he took that decision"

"Wasti Bhai did see Amir's match and Amir's progress in matches was being followed up by the coaches here"

"Whenever such things happen [losses], one does think like that [giving up captaincy] but lets keep an eye on the South Africa tour as such thoughts would not be beneficial for the team"

"If Pakistan team is losing because of me then I will probably think that I should move away and someone who is better at captaincy of the Pakistan team should come in"

"If Pakistan team is losing because of me then I will probably think that I should move away and someone who is better at captaincy of the Pakistan team should come in"

When Bilal Asif came into the Pakistan side, he hadnt bowled long spells"

"So its not the case that its the fault of First-Class cricket as it is because of this cricket that good players for Pakistan have come through"

"It is the same First-Class cricket that has given us Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan, and there is Abid Ali and Shan Masood too:

"We seem to put all the blame on First-Class cricket, if it was that bad then Pakistan team wouldnt be playing that well"

"Pakistan team isnt playing that bad as what some people think; yes we have to improve in areas but there are a lot of things that are good as well"

"We seem to put all the blame on First-Class cricket, if it was that bad then Pakistan team wouldnt be playing that well"

"Pakistan team isnt playing that bad as what some people think; yes we have to improve in areas but there are a lot of things that are good as well"

"It is the same First-Class cricket that has given us Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan, and there is Abid Ali and Shan Masood too:

"What I will say to the fans is that this your team and they have to go to South Africa now, and they need your support and I am hopeful that this team has the abilities to bounce back and it has players who can do well for Pakistan"

 

[MenInG]

Tough for Sarfaraz as some uncomfortable questions were asked and he got a little irked

 

[Asif321]

Should give up test captaincy if there is any other better leader
Sarfraz as player has regressed after captaincy . He should have never taken captaincy of all three formats
He was going good in test as wk batsmen

 

[SM1989]

Same old summary of what went wrong. He should talk about why it went wrong. He should talk about why the batsmen keep bottling it again and again and again and again.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Lol what. Pakistan just had one of the worst home seasons in their cricketing history, and he says "Pakistan team isn't playing that bad"?

Things won't improve unless these guys realize there is a massive problem with the mindset. Apart from Imam, I don't think any of these blokes are talentless or can't compete at international level due to ability. They are just mentally so fragile, the first signs of pressure leads to them surrendering meekly.

 

[JaDed]

Lost the series by our own fault, lol talk about giving credit to the opposition, I have tried not blaming Sarfaraz on posts because he did win CT against us ,but seems to get pathetic everyday.

KW played a gem of an innings, give credit ,your bowlers couldn't break the partnership.

 

[RickyG]

Lost the series by our own fault, lol talk about giving credit to the opposition, I have tried not blaming Sarfaraz on posts because he did win CT against us ,but seems to get pathetic everyday.

KW played a gem of an innings, give credit ,your bowlers couldn't break the partnership.

To be fair, he points out that Pakistan threw away the first test and then failed to capitalize when they were on top in the third test.

Your argument is petty.

 

[JaDed]

To be fair, he points out that Pakistan threw away the first test and then failed to capitalize when they were on top in the third test.

Your argument is petty.

So basically we failed to take their wicket not like they were batting well, got it.

 

[hitthestump]

I can't believe Safaraz has the nerve to blame the tail stating they need to chip in more. How about you start chipping in with the bat yourself you specialist captain begharat.

 

[Kaka4pope]

Should give up test captaincy if there is any other better leader
Sarfraz as player has regressed after captaincy . He should have never taken captaincy of all three formats
He was going good in test as wk batsmen

For sure he has regressed, in 2016 in England he contributed runs and back then would at, as with many a good Asian bat, take care of the spinners.

It SIMPLY cannot be an easy task to be a 3 formats captain, wicketkeeper and undefined batsman - comes in when the situation is already on its way to being decided. His mind must be going at a rate of knots...

 

[Adnan_Ilyas]

Only if the Captian lead from the front

 

[ARK Rafay]

For sure he has regressed, in 2016 in England he contributed runs and back then would at, as with many a good Asian bat, take care of the spinners.

It SIMPLY cannot be an easy task to be a 3 formats captain, wicketkeeper and undefined batsman - comes in when the situation is already on its way to being decided. His mind must be going at a rate of knots...

Agree. Being the captain, batsman and keeper of 3 formats is huge burden

 

[Amjid Javed]

Tough for Sarfaraz as some uncomfortable questions were asked and he got a little irked

So what if he was getting irked, did he want a piece of cake, cup of tea and rose petals thrown ar him after this pathetic series loss?

 

[Amjid Javed]

Maybe sarfraz should look at himself and the 2 pathetic shots he played in 1st test and in 2nd inns here as to why team lost.

 

[cricketindiafan]

Reading these comments reminded me of Dhoni of 2011-12 after the Eng and Aus tours where we lost 0-8. Almost similar sentiments- we had our chances, we are working hard, is there anyone better to captain, let us focus on future, see losses as a learning experience and of course not one word about his own form.

When a team loses, least the fans expect is some humility, some introspection and not this ‘don’t worry, we will get better” attitude.

 

[PakHammer]

I think he does need to give up the captaincy for the test matches and be put on notice for being captain for the limited overs side.

He really does irk me when he is constantly shouting/criticising at the players in the match. To do that, you have to back that up with batting performances like Kholi does. When that dont happen, players will speak behind his back and lose respect for him. I mean shouting at Yasir when somebody hits a four off him. Show him some respect man, he is the only reason we actually won one test match is this series!!

 

[rhony]

I can't believe Safaraz has the nerve to blame the tail stating they need to chip in more. How about you start chipping in with the bat yourself you specialist captain begharat.

He is considering himself as part of the tail and is saying he needs to bat better. Read between the lines

 

[dildilpak]

I think he does need to give up the captaincy for the test matches and be put on notice for being captain for the limited overs side.

He really does irk me when he is constantly shouting/criticising at the players in the match. To do that, you have to back that up with batting performances like Kholi does. When that dont happen, players will speak behind his back and lose respect for him. I mean shouting at Yasir when somebody hits a four off him. Show him some respect man, he is the only reason we actually won one test match is this series!!

The ability to not back up his players when the chips are down is Sarfaraz’s biggest issue as a captain -I have never seen any international captain who shouts at his players as if they are schoolboys & not the adult professional cricketers they are supposed to be. His actions & reactions clearly show that he cannot handle pressure & consequently that effects the entire team morale. Lack of talent or skill is not an issue with the team, its a mental block & the way to correct it begins with a captain who believes in his team & backs it up completely.

 

[Ahmed216]

Needs to quit captaincy and focus on his batting to save his career. lets see if he is smart enough to make the decision

 

[DeadBall]

Tough for Sarfaraz as some uncomfortable questions were asked and he got a little irked

Poor guy, should have been asked soft questions about choco pan masala. Yai reporters bhi na...

 

[Saj]

Seems like according to Sarfaraz it's all the fault of the lower-order batsman and inexperienced players.

Come on skipper, man-up and say it how it actually is.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

quit test captaincy when u cannot win in UAE against a Non-Asian team...

he is a just a passenger..

MA has failed this team in tests big time... im very sure he will play 5 batsman 3 bowlers and 2 allrounders in SA and that team will get bundled out for 100 and 150s in every single inns..

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Seems like according to Sarfaraz it's all the fault of the lower-order batsman and inexperienced players.

Come on skipper, man-up and say it how it actually is.

he is not the right choice for a test captaincy just like azhar not the right choice for LOI captaincy... Been saying this ever since he was made captain..

Azhar is the right choice for test captaincy but they put him in a format where he hardly played

 

[Saj]

Tough for Sarfaraz as some uncomfortable questions were asked and he got a little irked

If I'd been there he would have got even more irked as he would have had a few more questions that he wouldn't have liked.

 

[Ami]

Dont go on scoring big in first inns blah blah...u took a lead twice.

Pak bowling is fine, in fact better than fine, fielding is passable.

Its just 4th inns batting where they need to handle mental side of it..


....and of course the 4 no 11s!

 

[ManFan]

Players?

 

[Abdullah719]

Sarfraz open to considering future as Pakistan Test captain

Sarfraz Ahmed admits he could contemplate giving up his role as Pakistan's Test captain if the team continue to underperform.

Pakistan were beaten by 123 runs by New Zealand on Friday in the final match of a three-Test series, handing the Black Caps a precious away triumph in Abu Dhabi, with Sarfraz's decision-making questioned as the contest got away from his side.

The skipper repeatedly opted against taking the new ball as his bowlers toiled on day four and Pakistan's gameplan looked far from clear when they batted on the final day, seemingly stuck somewhere between chasing the match and defending a draw.

Opposite number Kane Williamson was far more decisive as he declared in time for New Zealand to bowl their opponents out, with Sarfraz later conceding that he cannot make costly mistakes as captain.

"When things like this happen, you do start to think about [giving up the captaincy]," Sarfraz said. "But let's see what happens.

"The tour of South Africa [starting on December 26] is a tough one and if you start thinking like this before it then it is not helpful for anyone. If I make mistakes or it is because of me that the team is losing, I will definitely think about it.

"If there is someone better than me to do the Test captaincy, then he should."

And the Pakistan skipper turned down the opportunity to shift the blame onto head coach Mickey Arthur or batting coach Grant Flower after a dismal attempted chase.

"The head coach has his job, the batting coach has his, but it's the responsibility of the players as well," Sarfraz said. "Mentally, we have to be strong as a batting unit. The batting pair who play the new ball have to set the momentum because it's not easy to bat on the fifth day.

"Before the series, I had said that it's the responsibility of the batsmen.

"The batting coach does his job. He tells them the basic faults and helps them improve their technique. But if the batsman is in form then he has to carry that form."

https://www.aol.co.uk/sport/2018/12...future-as-pakistan-test-captain/?guccounter=1

 

[Saj]

I think this series defeat is almost as bad as the one against Sri Lanka.

A lot of poor cricket from Pakistan and very poor leadership.

I think Sarfaraz should consider his future as Test captain - biggest problem probably is, a replacement.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

I think this series defeat is almost as bad as the one against Sri Lanka.

A lot of poor cricket from Pakistan and very poor leadership.

I think Sarfaraz should consider his future as Test captain - biggest problem probably is, a replacement.

Agreed. I think this is our worst series loss in a few decades actually. Very painful and embarrassing.

 

[Abdul]

I think this series defeat is almost as bad as the one against Sri Lanka.

A lot of poor cricket from Pakistan and very poor leadership.

I think Sarfaraz should consider his future as Test captain - biggest problem probably is, a replacement.

A replacement does not matter, we're better off playing without a captain instead of Sarfaraz.

 

[JaDed]

Reading these comments reminded me of Dhoni of 2011-12 after the Eng and Aus tours where we lost 0-8. Almost similar sentiments- we had our chances, we are working hard, is there anyone better to captain, let us focus on future, see losses as a learning experience and of course not one word about his own form.

When a team loses, least the fans expect is some humility, some introspection and not this ‘don’t worry, we will get better” attitude.

Exactly Dhoni lol

 

[pmahones]

If I'd been there he would have got even more irked as he would have had a few more questions that he wouldn't have liked.

List'em here Saj. would make for fun read!

 

[last_knight]

I think this series defeat is almost as bad as the one against Sri Lanka.

A lot of poor cricket from Pakistan and very poor leadership.

I think Sarfaraz should consider his future as Test captain - biggest problem probably is, a replacement.

That's where Fakhar and Babar should have been PSL captains.

 

[Hasan123]

I think this series defeat is almost as bad as the one against Sri Lanka.

A lot of poor cricket from Pakistan and very poor leadership.

I think Sarfaraz should consider his future as Test captain - biggest problem probably is, a replacement.

He averages 26 in the last 2 year's. We may as well stop playing cricket if we can't improve on Sarfraz.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

A series loss in SA and he should give up the test captaincy or should be shown the door. Even though his team is weak, result matters in the end and he hasnt produced the results.

 

[SensiblePakFan]

If I'd been there he would have got even more irked as he would have had a few more questions that he wouldn't have liked.

Who is your captain for the WC?

 

[Amjid Javed]

Seems like according to Sarfaraz it's all the fault of the lower-order batsman and inexperienced players.

Come on skipper, man-up and say it how it actually is.

Id rank him right up there with moin khan interms of pathetic captaincy.

 

[Saj]

Who is your captain for the WC?

ODIs and T20Is I guess Sarfaraz for now.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

ODIs and T20Is I guess Sarfaraz for now.

Mistake.... need a complete change. Otherwise there is a threat of factionalism.

Give it to Fakhar for all formats for a year. Infact MHK might have been right, give it to someone on a yearly basis till someone credible and reliable emerges.

A year seems to be the time optimum time frame for current lot, as after that their own performances start to tail off and become a burden on team. If they keep up their own performances then give them another year...

 

[Savak]

The prerequisite for the captain has to be someone who is a quality player, someone who is guaranteed a confirmed spot in the team and some semblance of leadership qualities. Sadly no one fits the description in the present team right now.

 

[blackanhyellow]

Sarfraz went from being oxygen for our test team to being sarine gas.

How has his performance dropped so much.

Surely has to be pressure of captaincy in all three formats.

Either way, he is losing us matches with his batting.

Needs to be dropped from the test team.

 

[Tabishbeigh]

I think papa Shafiq will grow as a player if he is made captain. I can't think of anyone else being the skipper of this team . Yes Haris Sohail needs to make way for someone else . I rather take an ugly consistent batsman than a inconsistent charmer.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

I think papa Shafiq will grow as a player if he is made captain. I can't think of anyone else being the skipper of this team . Yes Haris Sohail needs to make way for someone else . I rather take an ugly consistent batsman than a inconsistent charmer.

Shafiq is consistent? Consistently inconsistent maybe.

 

[BilalSez]

Arrogant and narcissistic statement. He knows that there is no replacement since he do not allow anyone who can threat him. I am from Karachi but he is idiot of highest order.

 

[ILcricket]

He is a poor Test captain beyond doubt & should only be in 11 if he is the best keeper .

 

[MRSN]

Very arrogant statement from Sarfraz. He is making fun of Pakistan cricket with that statement. Surely our system can produce above average players for captaincy..no?

 

[Arham_PakFan]

His batting average is like the 2nd worst for a Test captain (since last year).

Even Holder averages better than him.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Its quite obvious that captaincy has affected his batting adversely in all forms of the game , he should consider leaving captaincy before he is ousted from the team along with captaincy.

 

[BaankeJi]

Wicket-keeping is such a stressful job. Selectors should do him a favor and take captaincy from him.
Wicketkeepers should never be captain.

 

[Hawkeye]

A series loss in SA and he should give up the test captaincy or should be shown the door. Even though his team is weak, result matters in the end and he hasnt produced the results.

Good post.

 

[Hitman]

As if selectors are going to replace the captain with just months to go before the World Cup. The selectors won't accept his resignation right now if even he decides to voluntarily step down.

 

[Hasan123]

As if selectors are going to replace the captain with just months to go before the World Cup. The selectors won't accept his resignation right now if even he decides to voluntarily step down.

PCB made him ODI captain only a few months before the CT so they won't have any issue replacing him before the WC.


If someone isn't performing they need to be replaced. We won't win the WC whoever is captain from the current players but with this clown as captain we will be embrassed.

 

[QalandarFan]

As if selectors are going to replace the captain with just months to go before the World Cup. The selectors won't accept his resignation right now if even he decides to voluntarily step down.

This is tests though, let him captain in ODI's till the world cup, but what's the point of letting him hang around in the Test format.

 

[QalandarFan]

PCB made him ODI captain only a few months before the CT so they won't have any issue replacing him before the WC.


If someone isn't performing they need to be replaced. We won't win the WC whoever is captain from the current players but with this clown as captain we will be embrassed.

Doubt they'll axe him from ODI's before the WC. Tests he needs to go Asap, the only format he should continue playing is T20I's.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

The prerequisite for the captain has to be someone who is a quality player, someone who is guaranteed a confirmed spot in the team and some semblance of leadership qualities. Sadly no one fits the description in the present team right now.

Fakhar Zaman

 

[PakLFC]

I agree with Sarfaraz. If there is anyone better then give him a try. Babar Azam should be given a chance.

 

[shah_1]

Fakhar Zaman

When did Fakhar cement his spot in the test team? He has only played 1 test match. He will never be considered right now.

 

[aukhan]

Idiotic statement. He should resign like an honorable man after losing 3-0 in SA.

 

[ShahidDar08]

He should step down in all formats and let someone else to do the keeping job.

 

[arehaan]

I think PCB is to blame for this debacle. They didn't allow any solid player to settle in this team as he would have been a threat to all these players. Sarfraz is right there is no one in the current setup who can replace him and this is a big failure. We cant go back to Azhar and Asad Shafiq is a brain wreck. We may well need to go for some out of box thinking in case of test team captaincy. Maybe get a bowling captain this time or pick a young captain like Greame Smith and let him build the team. PCB needs to act and act fast as things are on the decline.

 

[Oligochaetes]

Sarfaraz is captain till World Cup. management has made it clear multiple times.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Yah his captaincy was questionable and his batting was poor to say the least but what about Pakistan openers? What about asad shafiq who is averaging 32 in the last two years in the years of his cricketing life when he should be peaking. You can forgive Babar and haris as they are relatively inexperienced at test level but guys with more than 50 tests under their belt should be performing or should be shown door. There should be very little tolerance for the failures of experienced guys.

The selectors wasted two series on a deadweight like hafeez and continue to trust asad who might perform once in a series. OK we are not a top quality team but the selectors aren't making any effort to bring any improvement either.

 

[PakPremi]

Yah his captaincy was questionable and his batting was poor to say the least but what about Pakistan openers? What about asad shafiq who is averaging 32 in the last two years in the years of his cricketing life when he should be peaking. You can forgive Babar and haris as they are relatively inexperienced at test level but guys with more than 50 tests under their belt should be performing or should be shown door. There should be very little tolerance for the failures of experienced guys.

The selectors wasted two series on a deadweight like hafeez and continue to trust asad who might perform once in a series. OK we are not a top quality team but the selectors aren't making any effort to bring any improvement either.

Others do not fit their hatred agenda. Everytime Pak top 5 fail it's Sarfraz fault. Everytime Pak bowl opposition out for lowish score it's due to bowlers excellence. I remember on this forum most posters were labelling Misbah as pathetic and defensive captain, and now he iis regarded as a very good captain.
Hum na hoon ghey tu yaad aein ghi humari baatean.
Misbah at least had Younis Khan to bail his batting out who does Sarfraz have in test team.
As I always said Sarfraz would serve Pak better if he only captains in limited over matches.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

The PCB's next to go guy is Mr Asad Shafiq. Unfortunately even Asad won't survive long considering his own bating.

The safest option is Azhar Ali. Even though he isn't a natural captain he is someone who will be there till at the least 2021 and is respected by his team mates.

 

[Brilliance]

He is a burden on the team. SA should be his last test series as well as for Asad Shafiq. Azhar should be the test captain.

 

[Hitman]

Fakhar Zaman

I tend to agree here. Better to give the captaincy to a young dynamic player, someone who can influence the rest of the boys with his batting. Unfortunately, the last time the Pak selectors tried it with Salman Butt, it backfired, all due to the man's idiocy. He too was a player who was young and showed glimpses of brilliance, although inconsistent.

 

[Stalin]

Wicket-keeping is such a stressful job. Selectors should do him a favor and take captaincy from him.
Wicketkeepers should never be captain.

Lol... that is an unusual statement
A good Wk captain is what many teams will die to have .

 

[Hasan123]

Doubt they'll axe him from ODI's before the WC. Tests he needs to go Asap, the only format he should continue playing is T20I's.

Even in his T20s what he contribute with the bat ?

 

[Titan24]

Reading these comments reminded me of Dhoni of 2011-12 after the Eng and Aus tours where we lost 0-8. Almost similar sentiments- we had our chances, we are working hard, is there anyone better to captain, let us focus on future, see losses as a learning experience and of course not one word about his own form.

When a team loses, least the fans expect is some humility, some introspection and not this ‘don’t worry, we will get better” attitude.

I guess Dhoni was under most pressure when Ind lost test series to Eng at home.

Losing a home series is something which puts way more pressure on captain that losing a series abroad.

 

[Titan24]

I tend to agree here. Better to give the captaincy to a young dynamic player, someone who can influence the rest of the boys with his batting. Unfortunately, the last time the Pak selectors tried it with Salman Butt, it backfired, all due to the man's idiocy. He too was a player who was young and showed glimpses of brilliance, although inconsistent.

Yes totally agreed.

 

[aloo paratha]

What are you waiting for? Resign already.

 

[Savak]

The ability to not back up his players when the chips are down is Sarfaraz’s biggest issue as a captain -I have never seen any international captain who shouts at his players as if they are schoolboys & not the adult professional cricketers they are supposed to be. His actions & reactions clearly show that he cannot handle pressure & consequently that effects the entire team morale. Lack of talent or skill is not an issue with the team, its a mental block & the way to correct it begins with a captain who believes in his team & backs it up completely.

Have to agree with this, have seen Sarfaraz wilt and Pakistan lose many games from tight situations and positions and it all resulted from Sarfaraz loosing his cool. He simply cannot handle pressure and that affects the entire team morale and confidence.

 

[MRSN]

Even in his T20s what he contribute with the bat ?

Bowling specialist bowlers and hiding behind tail.

 

[Titan24]

Others do not fit their hatred agenda. Everytime Pak top 5 fail it's Sarfraz fault. Everytime Pak bowl opposition out for lowish score it's due to bowlers excellence. I remember on this forum most posters were labelling Misbah as pathetic and defensive captain, and now he iis regarded as a very good captain.
Hum na hoon ghey tu yaad aein ghi humari baatean.
Misbah at least had Younis Khan to bail his batting out who does Sarfraz have in test team.
As I always said Sarfraz would serve Pak better if he only captains in limited over matches.

You forgot that Misbah used to lead from front and used to score more often than not. He was a cool, calm and calculative captain. He would never had make mistakes like Sarfaraz and Mickey especially in UAE. Even look at the way he managed the likes of Rahat Ali, Imran Khan etc and still managed to win matches and never lost a series.

Sarfraz has Azhar, Asad who are decent in these conditions.

What did Williamson had in batting apart from himself in UAE? He was the captain and lead from the front. Do you really believe Nicholls has more potential than Haris or Babar. Its all about giving your players confidence and making the most out of whats at hand.

What did Williamson had in bowling? Two spinners making their debut and spin is supposed to be the most effective thing in UAE. Sarfraz had someone who is fastest to 200 wickets, a top pacer in abbas in first two tests and a very good reverse swing bowler in Hassan Ali. He could have asked for a better spinner than Bilal, but it was his mistake.

Man Williamson even got the wickets out of collin de grandhomme in UAE.

Williamson won the series with almost half the resources Sarfaraz had in these conditions.

 

[Oneking]

I personally think background politics to blame for this series.
Mohammed Hafeez played the whole series
What did he achieve?
Why was he playing at the first place they didn’t use him for bowling afraid he might get banned again.
Imam’s average for this series sucked,
Haris played one good knock, remind you a turtle moves faster than him
Sarfraz to be blamed for picking only one GOOD spinner.
One player was really impressive is Shaheen Afridi if he can bowl like this in UAE looking forward to what he can do in South Africa

 

[New Yorker]

I personally think background politics to blame for this series.
Mohammed Hafeez played the whole series
What did he achieve?
Why was he playing at the first place they didn’t use him for bowling afraid he might get banned again.
Imam’s average for this series sucked,
Haris played one good knock, remind you a turtle moves faster than him
Sarfraz to be blamed for picking only one GOOD spinner.
One player was really impressive is Shaheen Afridi if he can bowl like this in UAE looking forward to what he can do in South Africa

The biggest factors in the losses were not captaincy, or tactics, or bowling, which could have been better, but ultimately got us to positions from which we should have won, but batting, pure and simple. Two batting collapses that took us from an outright winning positions in the first Test to a very saveable one in the last. There is not much a captain can do on the field about this, but of course to contribute with the bat himself. In this respect Sarfraz has indeed failed. But replacing him as bat won't solve the larger problem here. And picking Shafiq or Azhar as captain is a recipe for disaster. They are timid confused captains both, we saw that as recently as the Aus series.

Why is the batting weak? Very clearly because 1. We are more shaky against spin that perhaps at any time in our history. We have never been good against pace, so this is not the main issue. This is to some extent a structural problem to do with the quality of bats coming through the system, but clearly it has been exacerbated by selection and the fact that 2. we were carrying two walking wickets in Hafeez and Imam. So this is the fault of Chief Uncle Selector and Mickey.

Opening with Azhar and slotting a player like Fawad or Shakeel into the middle is the logical stop gap solution. Fawad is precisely the kind of player who you need to have an insurance in the UAE against this kind of debacle. Plays spin as well as Younis, maybe even better. The really sad thing is people worry that he won't perform against pace, when our first order problem is that we can't even win against spin at home. The climb up the ICC rankings starts with with winning at home.

 

[BaankeJi]

Lol... that is an unusual statement
A good Wk captain is what many teams will die to have .

Dhoni was miraculously fit. He is fit even now. Can't compare with Sarfaraz's fitness.

 

[ManFan]

Everyone can suggest goals and intentions but they will not result in change.

Unless the players and the management guiding them establish a concrete set of similar ideals, they will continue to perish.

Quite frankly, to see an unprofessional unit flop is nothing to be emotional about. It serves as a constant reminder as to why good strategy is important.

 

[Saj]

I think the Champions Trophy win went to Sarfaraz's head a bit and he started to believe that he is a better captain than what he actually is.

Welcome back to earth Sarfaraz.

 

[sjahmed23]

What gets me is the panic like atmosphere whenever sarfraz is under pressure. In no profession can you behave or act like he does when there is a little bit of pressure, it is almost like losing the battle to the opposition before it begins.