I Don't Want My Son To Become A Cricketer - Sarfaraz Ahmed
Published - 06 Apr 2022, 07:18 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:06 AM
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed is reluctant to allow his five-year-old son Abdullah to pursue playing cricket as a career option.
Sarfaraz, who led Pakistan to the 2017 Champions Trophy title, who led Pakistan to the 2017 Champions Trophy title, played his last international match against Bangladesh in the T20I series in their backyard.
I suffered many things that I don’t want Abdullah to face: Sarfaraz Ahmed
The former Pakistan skipper was excluded from Pakistan’s squad in all three formats in the recently concluded Australia tour of Pakistan 2022.
It’s been more than two years since Sarfaraz featured in a red-ball game for Pakistan and his last appearance in the ODI team was exactly one year ago. Sarfaraz said he doesn’t want his son to suffer from things he personally faced in his own career.
“Abdullah is passionate about playing cricket. But, I don’t want him to become a cricketer,” Sarfaraz said in an interview to a Pakistan local channel, as reported by Cricket Pakistan.
“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,” he added.
Moin Khan had praised Abdullah’s skills: Sarfaraz Ahmed
When Abdullah was three years old, his video of playing some fabulous strokes, considering his age, went viral on social media. Sarfaraz said that former Pakistan player Moin Khan and Indian Tennis ace Sania Mirza appreciated his son’s talent.
“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,” the former Pakistan skipper said.
“But, I want him to achieve his goals by working hard. Nobody should give him an easy way just because he is my son,” he concluded.
Sarfaraz led Pakistan national team in 13 Tests, 50 One-Day Internationals, and 37 T20Is. After Pakistan failed to qualify in the semi-final stage of the 2019 World Cup, Sarfaraz was replaced by Babar Azam as the captain in white-ball formats and Azhar Ali in Test cricket.