KARACHI: Pakistan’s young and talented cricket team performed admirably on the recently concluded tour of the United Kingdom and under the able leadership of Sarfraz Ahmed, this team has the potential to become a formidable outfit for any opposition very soon.

This was stated by former chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed Sallu while talking to the media here on Tuesday. Analysing Pakistan’s tour, Sallu said: “Beating Ireland in Ireland was a great start to the tour by our team which gave the players a lot of confidence. And that was reflective in Pakistan’s brilliant win at Lord’s against England. However, their inexperience and complacency led to the innings defeat at Headingley which was the only low point during the entire tour.”

“And then the manner in which our boys outclassed Scotland in the T20s was fantastic to watch, especially because just a few days before our series, the Scottish had shocked a strong England side in the ODI. So all credit to our team for a wonderful tour.”

Outlining the reasons for Pakistan’s success, Sallu said: “Fine talented players like Shadab Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Fakhar Zaman, Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Haris Sohail and Babar Azam are improving with every game and as I see it, all of them have the potential to become match-winners.

“Abbas is a great find for Pakistan and his superb bowling in Dublin against Ireland and in the England series was a revelation indeed.”

Sallu also lauded Sarfraz’s welcome return to form with the bat against Scotland as well as senior pro Shoaib Malik’s splendid batting. “The two senior players came good with the bat and that eventually won us tghe T20 series against the Scots. Sarfraz’s return to form with a blistering 89 was brilliant really and Malik too slammed a flurry of sixes to prove that there is still a lot of cricket left in him.”

Sallu congratulated skipper Sarfraz for becoming the most successful T20 skipper in the country’s history. “Winning 19 out of the 22 matches that Sarfraz has led in is a fabulous feat by all counts and I am sure he will go from strength to strength from hereon,” Sallu concluded.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2018