KARACHI: Former Test fast bowler Jalaluddin said on Thursday that he was surprised at the team management’s decision to drop Sarfraz in the third ODI against Bangladesh.
“It was amazing to see a vice captain being dropped at a time when the team was facing a whitewash,” he said while talking to ‘The News’.
He criticised captain Azhar Ali and coach Waqar Younis for their illogical decisions. “Rest could have been given if Pakistan had won the series 2-0. Moreover, a batsman does not need rest after playing only two matches,” he said.
He said such decisions had destroyed the team’s performance and led to humiliating defeats.
He said it was no secret that coach Waqar was responsible for the present turmoil in the team. “He lost five ODI series in a row and World Cup. But surprisingly he remains the favourite of PCB bosses,” Jalal said.
He said the team management was giving contradictory statements which exposed their confusion.
“It is clear that coach Waqar is playing this dirty game. He hasn’t been unable to digest his failure in keeping Sarfraz away from playing in the World Cup,” he said.
He said Waqar put Sarfraz under pressure by having two wicket-keepers in the playing eleven.
Former cricketers of Karachi said they were amazed to listen to the argument of captain Azhar about the exclusion of vice captain Sarfraz.
Azhar claimed that Sarfraz had expressed no objection to “resting him” for the third ODI.
It is pertinent to note that Sarfraz had been included in the team after huge public pressure as coach Waqar Younis was not in favour of having him in the team. But Sarfraz became hero of Pakistan cricket team by performing well with the bat in two matches of World Cup, especially against South Africa. He became the only player to score a century and take six catches in a match.
Meanwhile, local cricket organisers appealed to the
Senate standing committee on sports to take notice of the state of affairs of Pakistan cricket.
They said the team had been handed over to those who were continuously killing merit.
A group of local cricketers said that Azhar’s statement about Sarfraz expulsion once again exposed that Waqar was behind this episode.
