Pakistan's senior men will have to take responsibility, says Sarfraz Ahmed

Sarfraz Ahmed wants Pakistan to be unafraid of the challenge ahead.

Sarfraz Ahmed (Dawn)

Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan Captain, has come out and stated ahead of his team's stern Test tour of England that the senior members of the Pakistan Cricket Team will have to take the extra responsibility and not allow the youngsters in the team to be exposed in alien conditions across the next three weeks.

Pakistan will be playing the upcoming two Tests against Pakistan without the legends like Misbah-Ul-Haq and Younis Khan, the excellent-for-our-game duo retired last year from Cricket, and so, the likes of Azhar Ali, Asad Shafeeq, and Mohammed Amir will have to stand up reiterated Sarfraz.

Sarfraz Ahmed was recently quoted saying, "Yes, the senior players in the team have to show responsibility, We have to lead from the front, we have more responsibility to give a good platform so that the new players take it from there,"

Sarfraz has belief, he has seen his youngsters - Babar Azam, Mohammed Abbas, Imam-Ul-Haq - do really well against Ireland. He further added, "As a team, we have more confidence because that was our first big match, The way new players put up a good performance that helped us gain confidence."

Sarfraz showered praise on young Imam-Ul-Haq for getting a fine 74 which allowed Pakistan to chase down the target of 160 in the second innings in Dublin. He said, "I am very pleased the way he is playing, especially in the second innings (in Dublin), It's not easy for a youngster playing his first Test, it was a crucial knock of 74 runs and as a captain I am very confident he will continue performing well like that."

Pakistan's young will be up against the stalwarts like Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad and James Anderson and Joe Root. Sarfraz is not too perturbed, "They (England) have experienced players but I have told my players not to get worried about that, Take it as a domestic match, the way you have got into the team after performing well in domestic matches, play without fear and play your best game"

"The worse will be that we lose this match, but this is a young team, seven of our players will be playing at Lord's for the first time so that in itself an honour. If these youngsters do well here and gain confidence then it will be good for their future and for the Pakistan team."

Sarfraz is optimistic seeing the recent form England went through, He said, "If you see England's last four months they are not good for them, they lost the Ashes in Australia and did not have a good time in New Zealand. I think as captain I see England, at the moment, being less confident as a team so as a team we will try to take advantage and try to perform well."

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 24 May, 2018

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