The former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who won the Champions trophy vs India in 2017 opens up about being dropped from the Test Team in 2019.
He said "Obviously it was tough to absorb the fact that I was the captain as well as a regular member and then suddenly, I am nowhere. You do get upset but I couldn't really dwell on it too much, because I was fortunate that I had domestic cricket there and then came PSL"
"So most of the time, I remained busy. Then in this free time in the last three months in quarantine, I got time to reflect and improve my fitness to be ready for any expected opportunity," he added
Sarfaraz Ahmed was also demoted from category A to B and was removed from captaincy across formats.
"When you are a captain in any format, it definitely brings a lot of pressure on you and this is why it's a big responsibility. When you were playing cricket non-stop without a break, relentlessly, then these breaks really help you. I've been talking to Misbah Bhai and he was urging me to utilize this time to work smartly to improve my fitness and reflect on what I have been doing wrong," Ahmed said.
"When you are captain you basically think differently – more about the team than yourself. Your main focus is on the team result and performances, and in all this, you spent more time supporting your players. But now I don't have that added responsibility and I will be thinking exclusively how I can play my part as a player in any situation where I am needed," he added.
He then went back to first-class cricket and scored 340 runs with an average of 48.57
Pakistan will play 3 tests and 3 T20I's vs. England behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pakistan has released a 29 man squad for the tour of England and including Sarfaraz Ahmed as a backup keeper.
The much-awaited Test series which consist of 3 tests will begin on 30 July and will be concluded on 24 August. Pakistan will also take on England for 3 T20I which will start on the 29th of August.
