Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has backed Sarfraz Ahmed to lead Pakistan in the 2019 World Cup. The 36-year-old, who has represented the Men in Green in 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is and scored 6,871 runs collectively, expressed those views while talking to the media in Rawalpindi on Saturday. He also believes that with only eight months left, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should start preparing for the mega event.

“I strongly believe that PCB should appoint Sarfraz as the captain till 2019 World Cup,” said Kamran. “It’s about time we should start preparing for the World Cup as any more experiments will be harmful for the team. We should start preparing for the mega event from now on. Curators should be asked to prepare pitches keeping in mind the kind of conditions our team will face in England.” While talking about team’s overall performance, the Peshawar Zalmi wicketkeeper-batsman believes the Men in Green’s performance can only be judged when they will face tougher opponents. “Team’s performance can only be judged once they will compete against tougher opponents,” he said.

Talking about the selection criteria, Kamran believes top performers in the domestic cricket should be given the chance to represent the national team. “The board should also think about giving chances to players performing in four-day and one-day matches at the domestic level,” he said. Talking about team’s chances in the 2019 World Cup, Kamran believes the team is well-equipped to win the title. “I wish this team the very best for the future,” he said. “I believe if they play well, we have a great chance of lifting the trophy. It’s time we move forward in the right direction.”

Published in Daily Times, October 7^th 2018.