Batting legend Zaheer Abbas believes Sarfraz Ahmed needs to step down from his Pakistan captaincy in at least one format to relieve some pressure off his shoulders.
The wicketkeeper-batsman is currently leading the Men in Green in all three formats and Abbas feels Sarfraz can improve him performances if he chooses to concentrate on only two formats.
“He (Sarfraz) can’t continue to captain in all three formats. The pressure is too much for him. I think he should himself decide which format he should relinquish the captaincy,” the Pakistan stalwart was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI).
The 71-year-old had only recently undergone a heart procedure and was making his first public appearance since, during the launch of a book at Karachi on Saturday.
“I don’t think Sarfraz can manage being captain and performing in all three formats. Better for him if he decides to just focus on two formats as his performance will also improve,” the former skipper said.
Legend of the game: Zaheer Abbas (r).
While Abbas has urged Sarfraz to relinquish his captaincy in one format, former Pakistan skipper and wicketkeeper Moin Khan has thrown his weight behind the 31-year-old.
“Head coach Mickey Arthur has full authority in the team and if the results are not satisfactory he should be questioned as to what went wrong, why Sarfraz all the time,” quipped Moin during the same event.
Sarfraz’s captaincy across three formats has been the subject of debate in recent times. Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) newly constituted cricket committee chairman Mohsin Khan too had recently urged Sarfraz to step down as Test skipper.
Mohsin has since toned down on his views after PCB chief Ehsan Mani backed Sarfraz to lead Pakistan in the 2019 World Cup in England.