The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) finally decided to sack Sarfaraz Ahmed as the skipper of T20 and Test format and appointed top-order batsman Azhar Ali to lead in the longest format, while 25-year-old batsman Babar Azam will take charge of the T20I side.

The 32-year-old from Karachi then thanked all his colleagues and also conveyed his best wishes for his successors Azhar Ali and Babar Azam.

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“It has been an honor to lead Pakistan at the highest level. I want to thank all my colleagues, coaches, and selectors who have helped me in this journey. My good wishes are with Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, and the Pakistan cricket team, and I hope they will continue to grow stronger and stronger,” Sarfaraz Ahmed said in an official statement.

PCB chairman Ehsan Mani then thanked gutsy Sarfaraz’s contributions to Pakistan cricket and hoped to see the right-hand batsman back in Pakistan colors.

“Sarfaraz Ahmed's contributions are second to none and being the gutsy cricketer and fighter that we all know he is, I have no doubts he will be back in Pakistan colors at some stage,” Mani said.

The wicket-keeper batsman who experienced a dip in his form in recent series was really poor in the recent home T20 series where an inexperienced Sri Lanka side whitewashed the No.1 ranked T20 side.

Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 13 Tests, 48 ODIs and 34 T20I out of which he won 4, 26 and 29 matches respectively.

(With India Today inputs)