Sarfaraz Ahmed remains our first choice wicket-keeper: Mickey Arthur

Pakistan rested six of their key players in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia. The fringe players couldn’t step up to the challenge as the visitors whitewashed them in the five-match contest. Despite criticism, the PCB and coach Mickey Arthur have remained unfazed ahead of the World Cup and have claimed that they are spot on in their preparations for the tournament.

Though Pakistan couldn’t win even a single game, there were a lot of positives for them to take away. Mohammad Rizwan, the wicket-keeper batsman, played consistently to notch up two centuries while the youngster Abid Ali also slammed a three-figure score on debut with Haris Sohail also showing form. With Rizwan scoring, one felt that there will be pressure on the regular keeper-batsman and the captain of the team, Sarfaraz Ahmed.

However, Mickey Arthur has cleared that Sarfaraz continues to be their first choice wicket-keeper. He also went on to inform that they are thinking seriously of Asif Ali at the number six slot as the finisher which Pakistan have lacked over the last 12 months.

We need to give him confidence

“Sarfaraz Ahmed is our first-choice wicketkeeper, he is our captain. Asif Ali can prove to be dangerous, he has talent. We [are] developing him for the No. 6 batting slot, [we] need to give him confidence,” Arthur was quoted as saying by Geo TV while he was addressing the press conference in Lahore.

Mohammad Amir‘s form in the ODIs over the last couple of years has been the talking point in Pakistan. Rather, the notion is that he should be dropped from the World Cup squad. But the head coach has backed the left-arm seamer and it seems Amir will be selected in the 15-man group for the mega event.

“Amir is a big-match bowler. He’s a wonderfully skilled bowler. It’s just that he’s not in form… It’s not necessarily his form, it’s the fact he hasn’t been taking wickets,” Arthur further mentioned.

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