Pakistan wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed is seen as the potential candidate to lead struggling side in all formats.
Backing wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed as a long-term captain for Pakistan, cricket legend Wasim Akram and former opener Rameez Raja feel the 'aggressive' Twenty20 skipper should also be utilised in other formats.
Pakistan struggled on their recent tour to Australia where they lost all the three Tests followed by a 4-1 hammering in the five-match ODI series. The green caps were also whitewashed in two-Test series by New Zealand under Misbahul Haq’s captaincy at the start of tour of the Antipodes.
Captained by Azhar Ali since April 2015, Pakistan have slipped to 8th in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ODI rankings and run the risk of missing out direct qualification for the next World Cup to be held in England in 2019.
Misbah, who guided Pakistan to top of Test rankings last year, failed to impress with the bat and his on-field tactics Down Under, drawing flak from former cricketers including Australian great Ian Chappell who called for his sacking.
Akram, who shares the Islamabad United dugout with Misbah, abstained from commenting on his captaincy but backed Sarfraz as the captain.
"In my opinion, there is one player who has experience of leading teams from a young age. He is a good player and that is Sarfraz Ahmed. That's my opinion," Akram, who led Pakistan in 25 Tests, said during a TV chat put together to debate Pakistan's cricket fortunes.
Akram, arguably the game's greatest left-arm fast bowler with 414 Test and 502 ODI scalps, warned Pakistan not to expect miracles with the imminent change of guard in the captaincy ranks.
"There is no quick-fix. It is not like fixing a tyre puncture. If you change the captain, you may think everything would change. That won't happen," said the 50-year-old. The former captain also backed the idea of one captain across all the three formats. "Look at India, they have Virat Kohli leading in all three formats. Dhoni resigned as skipper. He decided it is better for India to have one player leading all the three Indian sides," Akram said.
Another former Pakistan captain, Raja also threw his weight behind the 29-year-old Sarfraz as the man to lead the national team.
"Except for him (Sarfraz) you don't have any other viable option. It's a no-brainer. It is the right time to give him an opportunity (to lead the national side)," said the 57-Test veteran.
"Sarfraz is the best choice He is young. He exciting. He is fearless. I am hoping he could transform this Pakistan side into an aggressive side," Raja, a member of Pakistan's 1992 World Cup winning team under Imran Khan, added.
"(Chief selector) Inzamam says we need one captain for all three formats," Raja pointed out.
"A Test captain has a five-year shelf life. Misbah has done well at a difficult time. He built a team and moved forward but we got to see stunted growth. There was no aggressive leap forward," Raja said.
Former speedster Shoaib Akhtar said: "We like Sarfraz because we see him fighting. He takes the game to the opposition. Sarfraz should come in as a captain in all three formats. You can't have three captains.
"Sarfraz must work on his game in Tests and on his fitness. It will be very important if he has to play all three formats."
Akhtar added: "A lot of people raised questions on Misbah's captaincy (from October 2010 until now). Pakistan did well in the UAE (during this period) but struggled on other (away) trips. He was slammed by Ian Chappell. Yes, Pakistan should move on and I think Babar Azam should be seen as a future investment."
Former batting star Mohammed Yusuf said: "Only Sarfraz is the name that looks like somebody who has a future with Pakistan teams. He's a fighter. He's a performer."
"In the past we had captains like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Inzy - who were world-beaters in their own right. It is over-due (change in captaincy). We need only one captain for all three formats," he added.
Meanwhile, former pacer Aqib Javed who featured prominently during Pakistan's 1992 World Cup win, also endorsed Sarfraz's promotion as captain.
"One man can make things happen. A guy like Imran Khan changed Pakistan cricket. After that you look at Brendon McCullum who changed the mindset of New Zealand cricket," he said.
"Sarfraz is a good captain. He must be given confidence. A captain needs to lead from the front."
"Misbah is almost 43. It is tough to play the game, especially the longer format, at his age. I think change is necessary. If you want to go in a different direction, then you have to think differently. Maybe you could get Sarfraz in Tests also," Javed added.
