Daily Times

ISLAMABAD –Former test-cricketer Sarfaraz Nawaz on Saturday expressed dismay over batting performance of Pakistan’s T-20 team captain Shahid Afridi in ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL).

He said that Afridi had failed to perform with bat in recent tours of New-Zealand and UAE and his same poor performance as all-rounder, still continuing in PSL. Though, Afridi claims to be a bowling all-rounder, but there is no consistency in his bowling since he takes few wicket after some matches, he said.

He said that how team could win matches, when captain himself was not performing well. After nail-biting loss from Quetta Gladiator on Friday, cricket lovers and supporter of Peshawar Zalmi have lamented the woeful batting of Afridi in PSL and questioned his ability to lead the team in upcoming T-20 world cup.

Afridi needs to opt out during next important match of PSL if he wants victory for Peshawar Zalmi, a Cricket lover Zahoor Khan added. Former chief selector and test-cricketer Abdul Qadir said that it was not time to tell player (Afridi) how to bat who is on the verge of retirement.

He said that Afridi should utilise his skills in an appropriate manner by focusing on his batting. He has skills but need to plan his inning while on wicket, he said. He said that Afridi had definite contribution for Pakistan cricket, so he needs encouragement to perform well in upcoming world cup.

Sarfaraz and AbudlQadir agreed that PSL had failed to produce young talented cricketers as all five franchise teams did accommodate senior players to win PSL. In other countries, super leagues are held with an objective of talent-hunt by giving chances to young players, Qadir said.

He said PSL was not a good experiment in sense to find new talent. He said that he would have given chance to seven first-class players along with two Pakistani and two international cricket stars in one team if he was incharge of PSL. He said that PSL has failed to emerge as no new opening batsman, wicket keeper and leg spinner came up as a shining star, then how can we say it is a successfull event, he said.