Misbah-ul-Haq maintains why Sarfaraz Ahmed carried drinks and shoes for his teammates. Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was touted by many to be a star in the making and many expected him to take his team to new heights, but after the 2017 Champions Trophy victory, things didn’t go well.
Sarfaraz Ahmed was left out from the starting XI for the ongoing first Test match versus England. Mohammed Rizwan replaced him as wicketkeeper as Sarfaraz watched from the sidelines. But on day two, Sarfaraz carried drinks for his teammates as fans expressed their disappointment in the social media which prompted head coach Misbah to reply.
Misbah-ul-Haq: Sarfaraz Ahmed Carried Drinks For Team As It’s A Team Game
Fans clearly stated that it was disrespectful to ask a veteran like him to carry drinks which could have been done by a junior cricketer. The photos had gone viral like wildfire and the coach had nothing left but to issue a clarification.
“It is very common and I don’t think this was an issue for Sarfaraz either. Even I carried drinks for the team against Australia when I was captain but didn’t play that particular match in which I was the 12th man,” said the Pakistan head coach-cum-chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq.
“Sarfaraz is an excellent human being and player. He knows that it is a team game. When other players are practicing outside, so the available player has to help out. It is not a matter of disrespect. In fact, it is big of Sarfaraz that he doesn’t mind doing it. Plus, it is a sign of a good team,” Misbah-ul-Haq said at the end of day’s play.
Sarfaraz Ahmed last played in the 2019 ICC World Cup where Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals after which he was deprived of Test, T20, and finally, ODI captaincy which went to Azhar Ali and Babar Azam respectively. Babar Azam, in fact, is the captain in both T20 and One Day Internationals.
Even Virat Kohli has carried drinks for teammates
Some fans have expressed their displeasure to become water boy for Pakistan, but others have reminded them that even Indian current captain Virat Kohli has carried drinks for his teammates before.
Sarfaraz Ahmed was however offered a place in central contracts for the 2020-21 season and the series versus England was his first international series since the World Cup.