Will Sarfaraz Ahmed be shown the door if we lose the third Test against New Zealand?

[Titan24]

Changing captain's wont transform the side. My biggest concern for Sarfaraz is his inconsistency as a player, mode of dismissal, lazy complacent attitude towards fitness and poor captaincy on the field with respect to field placements and bowling changes.

Poor tactics and strategies can transform even the best of the sides into mediocre ones.

Captaincy is a really important aspect in cricket.

 

[Savak]

Poor tactics and strategies can transform even the best of the sides into mediocre ones.

Captaincy is a really important aspect in cricket.

I agree. Fear of losing basically

 

[Savak]

POTW - this is a gem of a post which has been very eloquently put. Truth of the matter is they are social noobs epitomised by Babar Azam's tweet.

I also want to add the need for Pakistan cricket to be secularised. You don't see other devout Muslim players such as Amla, Moeen Ali and etc doing sujda every half century but with Pakistan we are seeing OTT celebrations and the need for the same routines even against minnows and in meaningless bilateral T20Is.

If you listen to to the post match presentations and hearing every time "I want to thank my dear .....", that's all very nice but it is becoming to sound robotic rather than sincere just like with all their routines.

There needs to be a culture change in Pakistan cricket. CA should use Pakistan as in case in point on why they shouldn't soften their players. If I was an Aussie and saw the recommendations made I would share the same concerns as Michael Clarke.

The team is full of obedient yes men, socially unaware weak characters who just don't know how to handle to limelight and fame.

To be honest this is the legacy of Inzamam ul Haq and Misbah ul Haq. Inzi introduced this culture of religion in the team and took the team away from the 90's lifestyle and then Misbah introduced of culture of defensiveness and doing away with the flamboyant batting approach where slow timid players like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq were backed to the tilt whereas mercurial players like Umar Akmal were sidelined. The results are in front of us today

 

[YousafTheBeast]

No, even if we lost a series to Zimbabwe at home, Sarfraz would’ve remained captain. What kind of captain hides in the batting order, he’s playing with the tailenders to avoid being blamed for his batting failures.

 

[aloo paratha]

His captaincy has been awful. Bowling Bilal and Yasir in tandem for 15+ overs when it's not working, not taking the new ball for 20 overs, a decision as defensive as they come. Not to forget he has had almost zero contribution with the bat in the last 2 years.

 

[Mamoon]

This is indeed a refreshing sport. We have the odd exceptions of the likes of Wahab Riaz, Salman Butt, Shan Masood, Umar Amin i.e. players with excellent English speaking skills and players who have had a O and A level education coming into cricket.

But really the question is economics? Why would a Middle to Upper Middle class kid want to take up cricket? Does the payoff justify it? Domestic pay is a pittance, but even at the international level, how much to the top Pakistani players earn and is it way more than an IBA or Lums graduate or a Top Medical graduate from AKU, DOW can make?

I believe this can change in the PSL era. It is a platform that help you live a financially secure life even if you do not get the chance to play for Pakistan.

 

[MMHS]

Should have never been appointed Test Captain at first place; then should have been sacked long back - at least no reason to hold on to this deadwood after Asia Cup show, particularly after the “tactical leadership“ since reducing an understrength side at 12-3.

However, I don’t think he’ll be sacked because of non cricket issues. PTI Chairman has finally cracked the Karachi code and he won’t like to upset Karachites by sacking (& dropping - if he is sacked, won’t find a place in squad, let alone playing XI) Karachi’s Godson, not so early on his chair - he can’t irritate PAK’s main city against him when he is not the showman at Lahore either. Besides, Mani lives in Karachi and he has responsibilities to his family!!!!!

Sarfraz is good at heart & a genuine guy, that I’ll give him and he might step down himself. In any case, he must not be allowed to escape SAF test (duel meaning - test & Test) - don’t think PAK’s fortune should change much with or without him (3-0 or 0-3 doesn’t matter), but if a new Captain is appointed, he might be crucified after SAF series and PCB will be forced to call back the saviour (aka Sarfraz or MoHa).

Sarfraz must be taken to SAF for full tour, so that PCB can sack him ruthlessly after the tour in at least 2 formats, drop from both squad and appoint someone capable & deserving in playing XI as captain for WC - I don’t mind Amir and if they are to carry MoHa in WC, better be as a specialist captain; definitely much, much better option.

Took 1 wicket to a slog & 1 of night watch man in a full day’s play on a 4th day UAE track, after burying Yasir for 79 overs in 4 days - never thought I'll see this day in PAK cricket at UAE against Kiwis.

Still, Bhakts are cuing here to put me in place!!!!!!!

 

[aukhan]

Should have never been appointed Test Captain at first place; then should have been sacked long back - at least no reason to hold on to this deadwood after Asia Cup show, particularly after the “tactical leadership“ since reducing an understrength side at 12-3.

However, I don’t think he’ll be sacked because of non cricket issues. PTI Chairman has finally cracked the Karachi code and he won’t like to upset Karachites by sacking (& dropping - if he is sacked, won’t find a place in squad, let alone playing XI) Karachi’s Godson, not so early on his chair - he can’t irritate PAK’s main city against him when he is not the showman at Lahore either. Besides, Mani lives in Karachi and he has responsibilities to his family!!!!!

Sarfraz is good at heart & a genuine guy, that I’ll give him and he might step down himself. In any case, he must not be allowed to escape SAF test (duel meaning - test & Test) - don’t think PAK’s fortune should change much with or without him (3-0 or 0-3 doesn’t matter), but if a new Captain is appointed, he might be crucified after SAF series and PCB will be forced to call back the saviour (aka Sarfraz or MoHa).

Sarfraz must be taken to SAF for full tour, so that PCB can sack him ruthlessly after the tour in at least 2 formats, drop from both squad and appoint someone capable & deserving in playing XI as captain for WC - I don’t mind Amir and if they are to carry MoHa in WC, better be as a specialist captain; definitely much, much better option.

Took 1 wicket to a slog & 1 of night watch man in a full day’s play on a 4th day UAE track, after burying Yasir for 79 overs in 4 days - never thought I'll see this day in PAK cricket at UAE against Kiwis.

Still, Bhakts are cuing here to put me in place!!!!!!!

Agree with your analysis. He should be sacked after the SA series.

 

[Ahmed216]

Nothing illustrates the decline of Pakistan cricket better than the fact that Pakistan, a cricket mad country with 200m people cannot produce a 26-30 year world class player with star quality, charismatic personality, good communication skills and great work ethic.

As a result, we have meek personalities like Sarfraz taking over as captain in all formats. Quite frankly, it is embarrassing to see him lead the team - mediocre player, no star quality, no personality, awful to hear to regardless of what language he is conversing in and is barely a player who is going to attract young players around the world. He completely looks out of place in the presence of other captains.

Same goes for our other players as well - they have no clue about how the world works and they are completely out of their depth and are completely out of their depth with stardom and the spotlight that is one them, which is why they act the way they do on social media.

From Afridi making nonsense comments to score brownie points from Umar taking selfies with livestock and eating grapes, Shehzad taking the most cringeworthy pictures and Babar Azam lashing out at Zainab Abbas from completely taking a comment out of context because of its illiteracy, Pakistan cricketers today are nothing like the genuine men of class that we produced in the past.

The biggest reason for our failure to produce proper personalities with class is because cricket has become a common man's sport in Pakistan. Kids from affluent families do not consider it as a career option anymore, which is why not only are we producing meek personalities, we are also narrowing our talent pool.

With the way Pakistan cricket is today, people like Imran Khan and Majid Khan would not have become cricketers and if they would have, they would have not been Oxford and Cambridge graduates. Now we do not need graduates from leading universities to play cricket for us, but we definitely need to produce more well-rounded cricketer. Cricket was an elite sport in Pakistan till the 80's, which is why we had big personalities like them and a few others. Post 80's, it became completely a poor man's sport.

To maximise our resources, we need to attract budding cricketers from all social standings. The only way this can be achieved is by investing heavily in school cricket. The posh schools in Pakistan need to provide proper opportunities for kids who want to become cricketers and also grant admissions on sports quota, so that the players can not only play the game but also good good education and develop some sort of personalities.

I know this will offend the usual snowflakes who will now repeat the same mantra of "oh you have inferiority complex, you do not need to speak farr farr angrezi to be good cricketers, not all leading athletes in the world can speak English and we had an educated player like Butt who turned out to be a fixer etc."

If you have the predisposition for corruption, education will not save you or entire. Butt was educated but Amir wasn't, yet both acted on their tendencies. However, developing educated cricketers will definitely have a long-term positive effect on Pakistan cricket. You won't see results overnight, but you will see them in 15-20 years.

Not only are we producing poor cricketers, we are also producing cricketers who cannot make an impression on other teams and cannot socialise with them either. As a result, we are increasingly becoming alienated and isolated. We should strive to not only produce quality players but quality players who are also not an embarrassment with the way they carry themselves.

If we continue with our merry ways, we will only produce soft, timid, dull cricketers who are easily intimidated, cannot sledge or respond to sledging and cannot articulate themselves.

Truth.
Being an avid pak cricket follower from India this is what ive felt over the past 15 years or so.
I salute Mr mamoon for putting this together so well

 

[qurram4u]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] :Wow!! what an excellent post.
I agree with each and every word of yours.
Keep posting Bro!!

 

[waqar goraya]

I just came to know that the ultimate emblem of mediocrity Asad Shafiq is our vice captain.

No, thanks although Sarfraz's tactics have been worst, i would still want him to hang a little longer and improve his planning/tactics.

 

[Mamoon]

Truth.
Being an avid pak cricket follower from India this is what ive felt over the past 15 years or so.
I salute Mr mamoon for putting this together so well

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] :Wow!! what an excellent post.
I agree with each and every word of yours.
Keep posting Bro!!

Thank you.

I am frankly tired of these meek characters turning up for Pakistan. After India, Pakistan has the biggest talent pool in the world and unlike countries like Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand, cricket does not have any competition from other sports.

The amount of growth that cricket can achieve in Pakistan is enormous. However, our cricket culture is rotten to the core.

 

[Ami]

Mamoon...what can I say?
Live a little?
I dont have the heart nor the farr farr angrezi to reply to your post...

 

[JibranAnsari]

The south Africa series will probably be his last series as test captain he may lose his place as well in the test side.