LAHORE // Pakistan’s fast-rising wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed vowed to take the new-look side to the next level after his elevation to the one-day and Twenty20 vice-captaincy.
Under new one-day captain Azhar Ali, Pakistan hope for a fresh start when they start their Bangladesh tour next week following the retirement of stalwarts Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi from 50-over cricket.
“I take my appointment as vice-captain as a good opportunity and an honour,” Sarfraz said in Lahore. “Azhar is a good friend of mine and together we will take the team forward.”
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Sarfraz, 27, was one of Pakistan’s key performers in their World Cup campaign, hitting an attractive 49 and equalling the ODI world record of six catches behind the stumps against South Africa in Auckland.
He then hit Pakistan’s only World Cup hundred — against Ireland — to help them through to the quarter-finals, where they lost to Australia.
He was surprisingly not played in the first four matches, a ploy widely criticised in Pakistani media.
Misbah and Afridi, who between them clocked up 560 ODIs, retired from the format after the World Cup, but Sarfraz backed younger players to take their place.
“They were the backbones of the team, but I am sure the players who replace them will do their best to fill their places,” Sarfraz said.
Sarfraz also said that Bangladesh will not be taken lightly.
“Bangladesh has been performing well,” he said of the team who beat higher-ranked England to reach the quarter-finals, where they lost to India.
“They always play well at home so we will not take them lightly and give our best performance.”
Pakistan will fly out on Monday and play the first of three one-dayers in Dhaka on April 17. They also face Bangladesh in a Twenty20 and two Tests.
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
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