Sarfaraz should be selected for T20 WC: Dr Nauman

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced its 20-man squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. The former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed was not considered for the squad.

Cricket analysts are not happy with the decisions made by the board.

Pakistan will be playing three ICC Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs against Blackcaps scheduled to start from September 17 to September 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Well-reputed cricket analyst Dr. Nauman Niaz said that Sarfaraz should be selected for the T20 World Cup squad.

Considering the previous record of Sarfaraz on UAE’s pitches, Dr. Nauman said that he should be considered for the middle-order.

While PCB has yet to announce the squad for the upcoming tournament in UAE, Dr. Nauman said that four cricketers; Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Babar Azam, and Muhammad Rizwan; have already secured their spot for the squad.

However, the main question was who will be opening.

“With Babar Azam coming in third place, who will open [the innings] along with Rizwan? One option is Sharjeel Khan,” said the analyst, while talking to a private news channel.

“Sharjeel Khan will be lucky if [incoming PCB chairman] Ramiz Raja is not taken on board in his selection.”

The cricket analyst said that either it will be Sharjeel Khan or Fakhar Zaman who will be taking the opener’s spot.

He further added that Shoab Malik will be selected for the squad, however, his age can be the major concern for Raeez Raja.

Ramiz Raja, he added, was not a person who settled scores with others, and that his duty would be to bring in a new policy for the board as well as someone to oversee operations. As a result, he stated that Hafeez will be included in the T20 team.

Imad Wasin will also make it to the squad, he added. “You [selectors] have to bet on Usman Qadir or Zahid Mehmood. Honestly speaking, Usman will not be much efficient against top-quality teams,” he said.

It will be difficult to decide between Zahid Mehmood and Usman Qadir. However, Usman can be selected as he is a close friend of skipper Babar, Dr. Nauman said.

Spinners will have the most important role in the T20 World Cup, so PCB has to take decisions carefully, he said.

While talking about new talent, Dr. Naumann said that Haider Ali is an exceptional player. However, he has yet to make an impact in international cricket.

Talking about Azam Khan, he said that he is not yet at that level, however, he has the qualities to become a good cricketer.

Dr. Naumann appreciated Iftikhar Ahmad for creating a strong image of himself after he showed outstanding performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Also Read

Pakistan vs. New Zealand: PCB announce 20-member squad for the ODIs

Pakistan vs. New Zealand ODI series scheduled in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on...