Islamabad - Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has wished
new T20 skipper Sarfraz Ahmed luck, while heaping praise on the aggressive
wicketkeeper batsman.
Afridi stepped down from the T20 captaincy earlier this year
after a disappointing ICC World T20 but he believes Sarfraz is the man to lead
Pakistan into a bright new dawn in the game's shortest form.
Sarfraz will captain Pakistan in the one-off T20I against
England at Old Trafford and will be charged with lifting Pakistan's spirits,
after a disappointing ODI series followed the heroics of the Test team reaching
the number one ranking.
Speaking about the new captain, Afridi said: “I can tell you
that not only my prayers, but the prayers of our entire nation are with
Sarfraz.
“The way that he is currently batting, along with his
attitude is remarkable.”
Afridi praised the way Sarfraz has gone about his batting,
saying: “Sarfraz has had a good strike rate in the ODIs against England, and I
think if he continues to maintain this strike rate, then it would be beneficial
for him as well as the team.”
The former skipper, gave Sarfraz kudos for his approach to
captaincy in domestic cricket: “I have seen him captain in domestic games and
he has an aggressive attitude.
“He plays attacking cricket which is required in this form
of the game.”
The man himself, Sarfraz, is thrilled to be leading his
country against England, saying: “I am really excited about the captaincy.
“Representing the country is a big achievement, but I am really excited to lead. We will be playing positive cricket tomorrow and hopefully emerge victorious.”