Karachi: Pakistani former national cricket team captain Shahid Afridi said on Sunday that Quetta Gladiator's captain Sarfaraz Ahmed should play as a team member rather than heading the team so that he can perform well and take the pressure of his own game-play in the Pakistan Super League's (PSL) eighth edition. While expressing his views on a private TV channel, the former captain held the Gladiators team management responsible for consecutive defeats in PSL 2023 and criticised their strategy of game-play.

Afridi, responding to a question regarding the performance of Sarfaraz, cited an example from Islamabad United and said: "There should always be a player standing by on the bench who can take place if the team falls short of any player."  "This strategy is nowhere to be seen in the game of Quetta Gladiators", he added. The former star cricketer also mentioned that there had been several changes made in the team.   While citing another example from Karachi Kings, he said that the team is not performing exceptionally, however, its captain Imad Wasim can be seen performing and leading his team.

"It is because the captain’s performance has an important role in the team's performance, Afridi emphasised. He further added Sarfaraz has played a number of matches for Pakistan and he performed very well in those matches. "Prior to the start of the league, I had talked to Nadeem Umar. He asked me for some advice. I had said the same then: 'Do not name Sarfaraz captain but keep him as a team member so that as a player he could perform well and he could absorb the pressure of his own performance and enjoy his game-play'."

Published in The Daily National Courier, February, 28 2023

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