Sarfraz appointed Pakistan T20 captain

Pakistan have been quick to announce a new Twenty20 captain following Shahid Afridi’s resignation on Sunday, with wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed appointed to the role.

Sarfraz was named vice captain of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I teams last year and his promotion to the T20 captaincy comes after a quiet WT20 campaign, where he faced just 17 balls across three innings batting down the order.

Commenting on the appointment, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shahryar Khan said, “I spoke to Sarfraz this morning and conveyed to him that he was our natural choice for this position.

“His appointment is open-ended. I wish him good luck in his new role.”

Pakistan are also in the market for a new coach, having enlisted former Test captains Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja to help select a replacement for Waqar Younis, who stepped down from the position after disappointing World T20 and Asia Cup campaigns.

They won just three out of their eight matches across the two tournaments and in a leaked report to the PCB, Waqar was critical of Afridi’s captaincy throughout both, as well as accusing the board of not implementing changes he recommended following the 2015 ODI World Cup.

The PCB have forecasted an army-style bootcamp after a review of the WT20 deemed that players were unfit when they assembled for the Asia Cup.

Quick Single: Reform on the cards for Pakistan

The fitness camp is set to be held ahead of their tour of England beginning in July, where Sarfraz looks set to lead the side for the first time after his appointment in a T20I at Old Trafford.

Following that, Pakistan host the West Indies, after which they tour Australia for the 2016-17 summer down-under.