Sarfraz should be named skipper until 2019 World Cup: Moin Khan

Former Pakistani cricketer Moin Khan has called on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to keep the current team skipper Sarfraz Ahmed in the role of leader until the 2019 World Cup.

"Sarfraz is someone who leads from the front and gives his hundred percent for his country on the field," the Dawn quoted Khan, as saying.

"He was the unanimous choice of fans and critics across Pakistan to lead the team in all the three formats last year and should be given all the backing now so that he could lead with confidence and build up a competitive team for the next year's World Cup in England," he added.

Under Sarfraz, Pakistan had recently lost the ODI series against New Zealand by 1-5, but had won the T20I series against the same.

Commenting on it, Moin said the team lost there because the conditions were tough due to which the top-order failed.

"It was this very approach of Sarfraz, that people are finding faults in, which won us the high-profile Cham­pions Trophy in England last June where again the team bounced back after a heavy defeat against India," he recalled.

Quoting Indian cricket team's example of suffering a 1-2 defeat in the Test series in South Africa, Moin said though the Virat Kohli-led side had lost the series, people were not reacting too aggressively over the defeat.

Moin added that wins and defeats were part and parcel of the game which every captain experiences.

Sarfraz was named Pakistan's ODI Captain on February 9 last year after Azhar Ali stepped down from the role.

His first major tournament as the captain was 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.