Sports

Board mulling over removing Azhar Ali: PCB official

Official says vice-captain Sarfraz Ahmed is the suitable replacement for ODI captaincy

APP August 31, 2016

pakistan 039 s slump under azhar ali 039 s captaincy might cost him his position as the odi captain photo afp

Pakistan's slump under Azhar Ali's captaincy might cost him his position as the ODI captain. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: The axe might soon fall on ODI captain Azhar Ali as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering removing him after a dismal performance against England in the ongoing five-match ODI series.

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England beat Pakistan by 44 runs in the first ODI, while in the second ODI the visitors were defeated by four wickets. Most recently Pakistan suffered an embarrassing 169-run defeat in the third ODI, losing the five-match series 3-0.

WICKET: Two for @chriswoakes as @adilrashid03 catches Azhar at third man for 13. PAK 50-2 (7.5) #wizard https://t.co/BZKpoTeHzu
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 30, 2016

A PCB official told APP on Wednesday that after the team's poor show, there have been talks in the board for the dismissal of Azhar as captain.

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"After this series, Pakistan will play a series against the West Indies, New Zealand and Australia," he said. “There are chances that a new captain may be given the responsibility in these upcoming series.”

The official said that vice-captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed is the most likely and suitable replacement.

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"If Azhar is removed, then definitely Sarfraz will be given the responsibility" he said.

COMMENTS (26)

maunglat lat | 7 years ago | Reply Every one missed the great remark by the great cricket player of his time Imtiaz Hameed,his observation and comment regarding Sarfraz.

a&a | 7 years ago | Reply Hat off to Sparrow man. ....

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Ch. Allah Daad | 7 years ago | Reply Bring Imran back. He is wasting time in politics.

Mustang | 7 years ago | Reply about time PCB is taking a right decision Azhar Ali is not fit as captain

Jahangir Chauhan | 7 years ago | Reply Sarfraz is a good choice as captain over Azhar Ali, but inject new players new fit talented youngster, just changing captain wont change the situation Pakistan cricket team needs to develop hitters and genuine All rounders.

Zee | 7 years ago | Reply @All: Thanks folk for your positive insights. I am not discounting Pak's achievements in test matches, yes it was huge feast a series win against Aus, Eng and drawing this current series against Eng in Eng, no small achievement. But beyond that there's huge offset of playing high number of test matches against SL a team itself going thr down patch, Zim & WI and all that in Asia. That's why I said once we've played our down under series, the correction will happen and that's when our true test match ranking will come out. My guess is #4 or #5. We as nation have this tendency of over-gloating 1 good performance and forgetting about major underlying fault lines - our batting, fielding and now bowling too are in shambles, selection is nothing but ad hoc where we keep bringing old dead horses and sticking to constantly failing "seniors" we've had an army of coaches under various innovative titles yet not a single player or aspect of the game has seen any visible improvements. And now we're on the brinks of being forced to play qualifiers for the next WC.

Parvez | 7 years ago | Reply The Board should mull over removing itself.

Malangi | 7 years ago | Reply Afridi was right there is no talent left in the team we need hard hitters and aggressive players,,,

Zee | 7 years ago | Reply @Humanist: instead of telling me about Mathematics, try reading my comment in its entire context, you may, just maybe able to understand the underlying gist of it.

Sam | 7 years ago | Reply @Zee: We fully understand other test #1 status was possible after some help from other series but at-least give team credit for being consistent. If not 1st they were 2nd or 3rd ranked team and that is not bat. ODI on the other hand is totally different game, Pak used to score 100 runs in last 10 overs but current lot does not have that level of experience or Power. Azher/management has made really bad decisions - before his ban Aamir was an all-rounder yet he bats at 11 based on what performances by Wahab Riaz or young player Hasan? Also, why there was no adjustment in batting order when team was chasing historical toal? do you think young Sami Aslam will do that? Azher should have come out and just rotated strike like Root did - his 50 included only 3 boundaries. Our skipper is not a good fit for ODI - his game is based on saving wickets - not scoring runs. You cant win ODI by not scoring runs. Pak bowling is not even taking 10 wickets in most games.

Jamal | 7 years ago | Reply @Zee I am not living in the moment aren't the series I have mentioned are facts you need to be number 2 first to be the number 1 only then the other series have an effect so we cannot take away from Pakistan test team all the hard work they have done to reach this position and they deserve appreciation For your second question that are we 9 in ODI well it is one lack of leadership which we don't have in test incase of misbah two lack of leading from the front and captain taking the pressure of the team three having a very inexperiance batting lineup apart from shoaib Malik Azhar ali who are both good for nothing yes we have also a bad system but you didn't had any problem with this when they gave you Waseem waqar Imran khan etc

Adnan Siddiqui | 7 years ago | Reply The 'world's best bowling' attack was humiliated and all the selectors want to do is fire Azhar Ali?? Was he expected to score a triple hundred?

Humanist | 7 years ago | Reply @Zee: Fluke outcome of mathematics? Do you even understand what you said? Math has no "fluke" outcome. Math is what it is.

Zee | 7 years ago | Reply @Kashan & Jamal: if you had followed my past comments you'd see how I have done band bajaying of indians on most issues here, I don't need certificate of citizenship from some shallow fickle here. Now on the topic, your reaction is very typical of our collective mindset - only live for the moment and instant gratification, never able to do any deep introspective and objective analysis. If you were capable of doing that, perhaps you can explain why a supposedly #1 test team is sitting at the bottom of ODI rankings rubbing shoulders with newbies like Afghanistan?? Our current test ranking had much to do with the results of Aus/SL and Ind/WI test series rather than our own merits. My point of waiting till we're done with Aus/NZ series is that by that time we would have played a good mix of both home & away series on all kinds of pitches and conditions against all top teams. ET - be a balanced & neutral venue and pls publish my this comment. Thanks

Zee | 7 years ago | Reply @Jamal: your comment is exactly the replica of our collective mindset. We love to live for the moment and for instant gratification only, never bother or able to do an objective analysis. Care to explain how does the supposedly #1 test team is sitting at #9 in ODI? Our #1 ranking had much to do with Aus/SL and Ind/WI test series results than our own merits, we don't stand head & shoulder above rest of the teams. By the year's end when we would have played series in Aus/NZ, we would have played good mix of both away & home series to give us the true objective results.

Voiceless Pakistani | 7 years ago | Reply One cursory look at Azhar Ali and even an idiot can tell by looking at his body language and bearing that he is anything but a leader but PCB old witches do not even have an idiot's mind.

Kashan | 7 years ago | Reply @Zee: Your name and comments suggests that you are an Indian. If we are No. 1 in test then why not celebrate? We have won matches and earned the rating points to become No. 1 its not a fluke. You are suggesting for the wait of year end which means we are playing abroad while India playing a lengthy home season and winning to become the No.1 side again, then you would be happy that your India is No. 1.

Jamal | 7 years ago | Reply Zee so you are saying that whitewashing Eng was a fluke beating them again 2-0 was fluke beating Australia 2-0 was a fluke beating Sri was a fluke and last but not the least drawing 2-2 in Eng which no other country currently has been able to do was a fluke. if it was just maths then probably Zimbabwe can be the next No 1 team if they can get the math right.

Muqaddam Khan | 7 years ago | Reply PCB is responsible for the entore cricket mess.

Muqaddam Khan | 7 years ago | Reply The PCB is responsible for the entire mess of cricket.

Arshad Khan | 7 years ago | Reply @Bilal Khan: Azhar was groomed and recommended by Misbah too. The God Father left the ODI team at 8th place and his choice of succession took it to 9th.

Zee | 7 years ago | Reply Let me tell you this - our slide will continue Azhar or no Azhar. The whole system is totally messed up. And don't read too much into our top ranking in test matches, which is nothing but a fluke outcome of Mathematics than our own strong performance. We'd know for sure our true test match ranking by year's end when we would have enough away series, that's when the natural correction would take place.

Fiz | 7 years ago | Reply Well, he deserves that axe, so let it fall sooner than later.

Amir | 7 years ago | Reply @Bilal Khan: Azhar was Misbah's recommendation. He has installed the defensive mindset in Pakistan team over the year and never let the young players to groom and now Pakistan is seeing the results. Earlier when he was captain, Ajmal and Hafeez in bowling was doing a cover for poor batting but now we are fully exposed.

Shaukat ali | 7 years ago | Reply Leading from the front is a concept totally lost on this guy. He has no strategy, no batting, no bowling, no leadership. He gets out cheaply and secretly prays for others to make runs!!

Bilal Khan | 7 years ago | Reply Bring Misbah back and show some patience with him. Let him groom the next captain then.

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