Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed has said that the primary objective of his side is to win the triangular series by playing good cricket. Men in Green will start the T20I triangular-series, which consist of hosts Zimbabwe and Australia as the number one team in the shortest format of the game. However, in the case that Aaron Finch-led side win all their matches in the series, they can push Pakistan down from the number one spot. However, the wicketkeeper-batsman reveals he is not too bothered about the rankings permutations. “We are not too worried about the rankings as we are solely focused on winning the T20I triangular series,” he said. “Although we always want to improve our rankings but our main objective is to play good cricket,” he said.

Sarfraz also stressed on the importance of good team combinations, which according to him, is the main reason of Pakistan’s success in the shortest format of the game. “We have been performing well in T20 cricket for the past couple of years due to a good team combination arising from a blend of young and senior players,” he said. While talking about the home side, Sarfraz said they were not going to take Zimbabwe lightly, who they would face in the tournament opener on Sunday. “First game is important as we kick-start our tour with it, which is why we want to put up a good show and win,” he said. “Zimbabwe have some good players in their side so we are not taking them lightly.” Talking about the conditions, Sarfraz said toss would play an important role in the outcome of the match. “It is always difficult to play away from home as we have to adjust to different conditions,” he said. “Toss will be a crucial factor in deciding matches and hopefully the weather will stay good.” When asked about whether Pakistan were the favourites before the upcoming series, Sarfraz said: “No team are favourites in T20 cricket.” The final of the triangular series be played on July 8, while the ODI series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe will start from July 13.

Razzaq says Pakistan look perfect: Former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq says Pakistan have a perfect combination of junior and senior players in the squad. “Pakistan have a good number of senior and junior players. They have a fearless opening duo, a brutal middle-order, attacking pace bowlers and smart and young spin bowling options,” Razzaq said. He added that all they needed to do was follow Sarfraz till the end. “All they need is the perfect leadership of Sarfraz who has taken the team up in the rankings. They just have to field a perfect combination according to the opponents,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, July 1^st 2018.