The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stripped Sarfaraz Ahmed of the national team's captaincy from all three formats. This comes after the wicketkeeper-batsman came under fire for poor displays, and he has also been dropped for the upcoming tour of Australia, where Pakistan will play three T20Is and two Tests.
The cricket board has handed the Test captaincy to Azhar Ali for the World Championship matches. Babar Azam has been named as captain for T20Is until the 2020 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.
After receiving the leadership responsibility, Ali said, "There's no bigger honour than to captain Pakistan in the pinnacle format of the game. I feel humbled, excited & privileged & with the support of the team, look forward to justifying the faith that's been entrusted upon me for the World Test Championship."
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While 25-year-old Azam quipped, "To be named captain of the No.1 ranked side is the biggest thing that's happened to my career to date. I'm ready for this challenge & also willing to learn more. I feel it's been a natural progression for me & I'm delighted PCB's put faith in my capabilities."
PCB chairman, Ehsan Mani, has revealed that Sarfaraz's poor form contributed to him losing the captaincy. "Sarfaraz's loss in form and confidence is visible and, in the best interest of the team, it has been decided to leave him out and provide him the opportunity to reflect and regroup himself and try to reclaim his form away from international cricket," he said.
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The PCB also released a short statement from Sarfaraz. "I wish the best for both Azhar and Babar in their new endeavors and I must thank my coaches, fellow players and the selectors for having supported me a lot in my tenure as captain," he said.
