Misbah-ul-Haq confirms Sarfaraz Ahmed will play second fiddle to junior Mohammad Rizwan

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed hasn't had the best of times recently. The right-hander was axed from the side and was even stripped off the captaincy. To add to his miseries, Sarfaraz Ahmed was also demoted from Category A to Category B in the recently announced the men’s central contracts list for 2020-21 by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

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Sarfaraz Ahmed very much in our plans: Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakistan national team's head coach Misbah-ul-Haq was in conversation with a YouTube channel Cricket Baaz where he spoke on several topics. Speaking about the resumption of cricket, Misbah-ul-Haq said that conducting the T20 World Cup in Australia would be the best way to make cricket noticeable once it resumes internationally. Misbah-ul-Haq also spoke about the future of Sarfaraz Ahmed.

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Misbah-ul-Haq said that Sarfaraz Ahmed would surely be picked for the England tour but added that he would be the second choice wicketkeeper behind Mohammad Rizwan. Misbah-ul-Haq further said that it makes sense to take two wicketkeepers due to unfavourable conditions in England as it would be difficult to find a replacement. Misbah-ul-Haq was also questioned about the decision to strip Sarfaraz Ahmed off the captaincy.

Speaking on the removal of Sarfaraz Ahmed as Pakistan's captain, Misbah-ul-Haq said that it was vital to give Sarfaraz Ahmed a break because they felt his batting had taken a hit due to the captaincy pressure. However, Misbah-ul-Haq added that he is happy to see the former skipper work on his fitness and asserted that he is very much in the scheme of things.

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Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali exit Pakistan team's WhatsApp group after central contracts snub

According to a recent report, Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali left the WhatsApp group created by the PCB after they were denied central contracts for 2020-21 season. A report in Cricket Pakistan quoted team sources as saying that it was usual for players to willingly leave the group set up by the PCB for issues and recommendations related to fitness after they are dropped from the central contracts list. However, Wahab Riaz, who also didn't make a cut to the central contracts list, is still part of the WhatsApp group.

At the same time, PCB stated that Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz will remain in contention for selection in what will be a busier cricket season as compared to the one that has just concluded. Hasan Ali has not represented Pakistan since the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and only appeared in some matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2020) in February-March before breaking down with a back problem. On the other hand, Mohammad Amir last featured in the T20I series in Australia in November 2019.

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IMAGE COURTESY: AP