Not expected Sarfaraz could be banned for 4 matches by ICC: PCB source

The Pakistan Cricket Board was unaware that captain Sarfaraz Ahmed would be suspended for four matches over his racist comments when it named him to lead the team in the T20 series in South Africa, an official said Sunday.

Sarfaraz was Sunday suspended for four matches by the International Cricket Council for his racist comments against South Africa all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo during the second one-dayer in Durban on January 22. He will also have to undergo an education programme to understand the issue.

"We were not aware what penalty the ICC would impose on him and and when. There was some doubt if Sarfaraz would face a ban after he had apologised publicly and in person to the South Africa players including Andile Phehlukwayo," a PCB official told PTI on Sunday.

Sarfraz was heard on stump microphones of making racist remarks directed at Phehlukwayo.

Pakistan replaced Sarfaraz with wicketkeeper-batsman Muhammad Rizwan for the fourth one-dayer with the experienced Shoaib Malik asked to lead the team for the last two ODIs and two T20 games in South Africa.

Rizwan has also been drafted into the T20 squad announced on Saturday in which he was not selected and Sarfaraz was named skipper and keeper.

The PCB official said a decision would be taken shortly when Sarfaraz will return home.

"He will be put though a education program immediately to make him realize where he went wrong. The good thing is he immediately apologized for his comments."