Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed offered a piece of advice to senior batters Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal ahead of the Champions One-Day Cup, scheduled to run from September 12 to 29.
Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, who made their respective debuts for Pakistan in 2009, were integral parts of the national team till 2016.
Their last appearance for the national team came in the three-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka in 2019.
Shehzad managed modest scores of four and 13 in the opening two T20Is of the home series respectively while Akmal even failed to score a run as he got out on back-to-back golden ducks.
The duo was subsequently dropped from the third T20I of the series and has not represented Pakistan since then.
Meanwhile, in a recent turn of events, Shehzad announced that he will boycott the upcoming Champions Cup.
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As a result, Dolphins’ mentor for the Champions Cup, Sarfaraz Ahmed advised the duo of Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal to decide if they want to play cricket.
“They should definitely play cricket but if they really want to. Firstly, they need to decide whether they want to play or not,” said Sarfaraz.
“I think both of them are immensely talented players, there’s no doubt about their talent. They played outstanding cricket for Pakistan but I think it’s their own decision,” he added.
Sarfaraz Ahmed then emphasized the need for experienced players in the team, asserting that the emerging players would make their place with time.
“There should be a combination of senior and junior players while playing cricket. We must remember that the senior player cemented his place with a lot of hard work,” Sarfaraz said.
“It has become a trend that ‘we need young players’. A youngster would cement his place by himself with performance,” he added.
READ: “Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad were more talented than us,” Azhar Ali