Saeed Ajmal cites the need to groom new leaders in Pakistan cricket

Former Pakistani cricketer Saeed Ajmal recently looked very skeptical about the plight of Pakistani cricket in certain aspects. Among the areas of concern, the one hovering around the leadership role is the most important one to address, Ajmal feels. As per the recent reports in The Tribune, Ajmal spoke at length about the need to groom new leaders for Pakistan cricket.

With the 2018 edition of the Pakistan Super League coming up, Saeed Ajmal is all set to take up a new role. He will be a part of the Islamabad United franchise in the capacity of the bowling coach. Citing the example of the United franchise, Ajmal remarked that no player in the squad who is capable of leading the side except Misbah-ul-haq. He feels the teams can use PSL as a platform to experiment in this regard.

“I don’t think there is any local player in the current squad right now who can replace Misbah. Rumman Raees has been named the vice-captain and hopefully he can turn into a real leader in the future. We should also be looking to groom several youngsters since this will help Pakistan cricket because every team needs several leaders out there on the pitch. The PSL can be used by the franchises to experiment,” noted Saeed Ajmal.

Entire tournament to be played in Pakistan

The 2018 edition of the PSL will see the knock out matches being played in Pakistan. The finals is scheduled to be played in Karachi this year. Last year, only the finals were played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore last year. Saeed Ajmal remarked that it will be great for Pakistan cricket if the entire tournament is played on the Pakistani soil. He hopes to see this turn into reality sometime soon. Interestingly, PCB Chairman Najam Sethi is optimistic of restoring cricket in Pakistan soon.

“I want the whole of the PSL to be organised in Pakistan since it can be really beneficial for the country and the sport. The crowds will finally get to see their stars playing in front of them, the sponsors will get increased exposure and hosting a successful PSL at home will help completely revive international cricket in the country. It’s a win-win situation for all parties involved and I really hope we have the whole of PSL in Pakistan from next year,” mentioned Ajmal.

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