PCB alleges Pakistan team management hid Sarfaraz Ahmed's recent selection controversy?

Former Pakistan cricket captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who warmed the bench for nearly the entire England tour, was finally included in the playing XI in the third and final T20I at the Old Trafford in place of Mohammad Rizwan. The right-handed keeper-batsman, who was also a part of Pakistan's Test squad, couldn't break into the playing XI as the Azhar Ali-led team chose to stick with Rizwan.

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PCB demand detailed report from team management over Sarfaraz Ahmed's incident

After the England tour concluded, several reports had emerged which stated that Sarfaraz Ahmed had refused to play in the final T20I. However, on being persuaded by head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, batting coach Younis Khan and captain Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmed finally agreed to play the game. Now, according to a report by Geo News, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has demanded a detailed report after Sarfaraz Ahmed had initially refused to play in the final T20I game against England in Manchester.

According to sources, the Pakistan team management wanted to keep the matter hidden, however, the PCB has asked the management to submit a detailed report of the incident. Sarfaraz Ahmed was reluctant to feature in the final T20I against England because of the added pressure that could cause things to go south if he failed to perform. The 2017 Champions Trophy-winning captain was apprehensive that if he doesn't deliver the goods, he would be permanently sacked from the Pakistan team. However, after Misbah ul Haq, Younis Khan and Babar Azam assured him of his place, he decided to play.

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Head coach Misbah ul Haq came out in support of the Pakistan veteran. While speaking to Geo Super, Misbah said that he would also have done the same if he were in Sarfaraz Ahmed's position. He added that any player can have concerns when given the final match of a tour and that’s what Sarfaraz Ahmed also had. Misbah further said that Sarfaraz was under pressure that if things don’t go his way, then he could be in trouble.

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Meanwhile, a lot was expected from Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was making a comeback after being dropped due to Pakistan's poor outing at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. But the 33-year-old couldn't really make the most of the opportunity provided to him. The veteran stumper didn't get an opportunity to bat courtesy a brilliant performance by the top order. However, Sarfaraz had a chance to redeem himself by performing well with the gloves but he failed to stump the in-form batsman Moeen Ali, who then went on to smash a blistering fifty and threatened to take the game away from Pakistan, although visitors won that game eventually by 5 runs.

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IMAGE COURTESY: ICC TWITTER