Shane Watson, the head coach of Quetta Gladiators, praised the leadership qualities of former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed despite losing captaincy ahead of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.
Sarfaraz Ahmed led Quetta Gladiators for eight consecutive seasons before he was replaced by Rilee Rossouw for the ongoing season.
However, Shane Watson stated that Sarfaraz is a leader on the field and is supportive of the new captain.
“He’s such a great leader and he leads on the field whether he’s got the C placed beside his name or not. He’s been exceptional,” said Watson while speaking to a local sports channel.
“The support that he gives him (Rilee) has been exceptional. So, it’s a real credit to Sarfraz the ways he’s taken it on and he continues to lead.
“He’s just his natural leader anyway. So even if he doesn’t ever have a C beside his name, he certainly knows how to be able to add the value he needs to.
The former Australian all-rounder also heaped high praise on Saud Shakeel, who has been impressive with his batting at the top order, scoring 164 runs in five games at a strike rate of 150.45.
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“Saud is a highly skilled young man, his balance with Jason Roy and his ability to play spin and fast bowling make him a perfect fit for the opening slot.
Meanwhile, Watson appreciated the “exceptional” batting prodigy Khawaja Nafay and termed him a future prospect for Pakistan.
“Khawaja Nafay has exceptional power and bat speed. His skill and power make him a promising prospect for Pakistan cricket.
Wason also shared his experience of coaching Quetta Gladiators and expressed contentment with the way the team has played in the tournament so far.
“It’s an absolute privilege to be the head coach of a team like Quetta Gladiators. I’ve been very happy with the way the guys have played.
“For me, the most important thing about being the head coach was setting up an environment where the players feel that they can be at their very best and they certainly have throughout the whole tournament so far.
“Everyone has put their hand up when the teams needed them.”
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