Sarfaraz Ahmed will be part of England tour: Misbah confirms

Pakistan’s head coach-cum-chief selector Misbahul Haq has confirmed that wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed will be part of the squad for the upcoming tour of England.

Pakistan plans to send a 25-man squad to England in July to meet the demands of playing an entire tour in a ‘bio-secure’ bubble.

Players were assured the PCB will not compromise on their health and safety. They will be given an option to withdraw if they are still not satisfied with the provisions that will be put in place.

“We will be taking a group of 25 to 27 players to England because we can’t ask for replacements and we all have to be together from start to end so that no one catches the virus,” Misbah was quoted as saying by Press Trust of India. “Yes it makes sense to take two keepers on this tour because where will we find a replacement in those conditions. Sarfaraz is obviously our choice.”

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Misbah also reiterated his stance on Sarfaraz’s removal as captain of the side from all formats.

“I felt that as time progressed Sarfaraz was feeling more pressure more so because of his own form which was suffering. It [removal from captaincy] was a decision to give him a break so that he could rest and make a strong comeback,” he said. I am happy to see that he has worked very hard on his fitness and game. He is very much in our plans.”

Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests in August followed by an equal number of Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), with the matches taking place behind closed doors as part of measures to combat Covid-19.

The PCB would seek medical advice and government guidance before going on the tour.