Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed has said he is looking forward to get maximum advantage from the much-awaited opportunity to play county cricket during his stint with Yorkshire. Sarfraz, who led his team to a dream victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, was signed by Yorkshire last week for a short stint in the NatWest T20 Blast. The 30-year-old said Thursday that he had always wanted to play county cricket and hoped that the spell with Yorkshire would help him become a better professional.

“I always wanted to play county cricket and when the opportunity to represent Yorkshire came I couldn’t say no to this fantastic offer,” he said. “It’s a dream come true for me and hopefully this stint with Yorkshire will help me become even a better professional,” added Sarfraz, who was recently handed Pakistan’s Test captaincy.

Sarfraz is likely to feature in five T20 Blast matches and join the team on July 27. He is currently waiting for his visa. The skipper said he was proud to be part of Yorkshire, a team which was previously represented by legends like Inzamamul Haq and Younus Khan. “Yorkshire are a big club with a big reputation and I’m proud to be following in the footsteps of other Pakistanis who have played at Headingley such as Younus Khan and Inzamamul Haq,” he said.

Sarfraz, who has led Pakistan to seven victories in eight T20Is as captain, said he was aiming to contribute his part in making Yorkshire victorious in the event, adding that playing in the tournament would also be a learning opportunity for him. “I hope I can contribute in as many victories as I can in my five-match stint and provide the crowd the sort of entertainment they are looking for,” he said. “I am learning every day as a player and as a captain as well, so it would be nice to have a taste of the T20 Blast,” he added..

Published in Daily Times, July 21^st, 2017.