'I suffered many things which I don't want my child to face': Ex-Pakistan captain doesn't want his son to play cricket
The former Pakistan captain does not want his son to take up cricket as a profession given the mental stress that comes with it.
The Pakistan cricket team has turned a corner following their dismal show in the 2019 World Cup, which saw their coach and captain getting sacked. Two years of hard work and dedication paid off as Pakistan reached the semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup last year, and have not looked back. Recently, Pakistan registered an emphatic ODI series win against Australia, who had toured the country for the first time since 1998 and this bodes well for the Pakistan cricket team which is shaping up nicely.
The fact that captain Babar Azam has hit top gear and the emergence of the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and the coming of age of Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq have benefitted the team aplenty. The new era of Pakistan cricket under Babar seems to be flourishing and it comes at the right time with back-to-back World Cups.
Speaking of which, the last time Pakistan played the 50-over World Cup, it was during 2019 in England, where they failed to make it to the semi-finals. Then captain of the team Sarfraz Ahmed, is no longer in the scheme of things. After being stripped of captaincy shortly after the 2019 World Cup debacle, recently dropped from the ODI and T20I teams ahead of the series against Australia. Sarfaraz has a kid, Abdullah, who is passionate towards cricket, but the former Pakistan captain is not too keen on his child to take up the sport as a profession.
"Abdullah is passionate about playing cricket. But I don't want him to become a cricketer," Sarfaraz said during an interview on a local channel. "Actually, being a cricketer, I suffered many things that I don't want Abdullah to face. It's human nature. Being a cricketer, I want my brother or son to be selected immediately. Otherwise, it hurts."
Abdullah’s talent has been praised by former Pakistan wicketkeeper Moin Khan and ex-Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza, who are bowled over by the kid’s early cricketing impressions. Sarfaraz, who led Pakistan to the Champions Trophy title in 2017, is not entirely against his son wanting to become a cricketer, but insists he should work his way to the top without seeking anyone’s assistance.
"A lot of people said to me that Abdullah is talented and I should let him play cricket. Moin Bhai had praised Abdullah's skills, also, Sania Mirza once told me that Abdullah has the potential to become a cricketer. But I want him to achieve his goals by working hard. Nobody should give him an easy way just because he is my son," Sarfaraz mentioned.