‘Controversial Malik wrong choice as stand-in skipper’

LAHORE: Former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for appointing controversial all-rounder Shoaib Malik as captain of the national team as replacement of regular skipper Sarfraz Ahmed who has been served a four-match ban by the ICC over his racist remarks during the second ODI against South Africa in Durban last week.

Talking to Dawn on Monday, Sarfaraz reminded that Malik has been suspected of fixing matches on a couple of occasions in the past and Mohammad Hafeez would have been a better choice to lead the national team for the four matches.

“Malik had to quit the captaincy of Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League when an English cricketer raised doubts over his certain decisions during a match,” recalled Sarfaraz. “On ano­ther occasion, Malik while leading Sialkot Stall­ions, lost a domestic T20 match deliberately and also admitted it in the post-match talk.”

Sarfaraz further said that as a result of that confession, then PCB chairman Ijaz Butt sidelined Malik from the national team.

The former pacer also criticised the PCB for immediately calling Safraz back home despite the fact he could lead the team in the last T20 match of the tour. “This would give wrong signals to the team and the players about his [Sarfraz’s] future in the team,” he said.