It's always Pakistan who have come forward to play with India, and they should respond in kind: Sarfraz Ahmed

Pakistan’s ODI and T20I captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who has been one of the top-performers for the country in the recent past has expressed his excitement on leading the talented Pakistani players on the field. The wicketkeeper also compared himself to the other Pakistani captains calling himself as a more “aggressive and dynamic” leader.

He condemned the Indian team for not visiting Pakistan, and also commented on the intense battle between the two countries. “Maybe India is afraid that’s why they do not play us. It’s always fun to play in a match against India,” he said.

Further, the Pakistan captain focused on the ongoing series against the West Indies, where Pakistan are leading 1-0 in the T20 series. He praised the debutant Shadab Khan, calling him as the “trump card” for Pakistan cricket after his fabulous display in the first T20.

He also commented on his relationship with the senior Kamran Akmal, dismissing the competition between the two for the position of the wicketkeeper.

“We will have Ahmad Shahzad and Kamran Akmal open the innings for Pakistan,” he said. “Neither is Akmal a threat to me and neither am I for him.”

Sarfraz intends to lead the team from the front through his batting and fielding. “If I perform, the rest of the team will perform well,” he said. “I plan on taking all players on board rather than frightening them,” he added.

He concluded the interview with a select set of stern words against the match-fixers and also condemned that leniency shown by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) thus far in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) spot-fixing scandal.

The 29-year-old further urged the cricketers to convey the information to the authorities if there is any approach from the bookies, failing which they should be banned for life.