LAHORE - Former Pakistan team captain Wasim Akram termed Sarfraz Ahmas as a fighter saying he needs time to adjust.
Speaking at a ceremony to launch a private company’s product, Wasim said: “Sarfraz Ahmed is a fighter and he will fight back in the second Test. As everyone saw, the team early matches of the Champions Trophy, but under Sarfraz captaincy, the team bounced back and outclassed arch-rivals India in the final to clinch the mega trophy. This quality of Sarfraz shows that he is a good fighter and he is bound to excel.”
Coming down hard on the critics for criticizing the Champions Trophy heroes just after one match, he said: “We should give the team and players some time to settle down and perform well. As compared to other nations, our team played very less Test cricket as they just got two Tests in six months, while on the other hand, Sri Lanka recently played a full-fledged Test series against India, and that’s why they are in a better shape than us.”
The sultan of swing said that Pakistan team is well balanced and they will bounce back. “We have very balanced team as it is a combination of young and experienced players and I am hopeful that it will bounce back and succeed in winning the second Test against Sri Lanka.”
About Misbah-ul-Haq and Younus Khan, the former captain said: “Yes, both Misbah and Younus were missed during the first Test. They were backbone of the team and during their era, the middle order was very strong. But the team has some good players who are capable of filling the void created by these two batsmen.” He said there is no grouping in the team. “Only collective efforts are needed to help Pakistan win the second Test.”
To another query about moving from Islamabad United to Multan Sultans, Wasim said: “I love adventures and this is also part of another adventure of my life. I had great time with United players and staff but now I am with Multan Sultans and want to make it one of the best teams of Pakistan Super League.”