Following Quetta Gladiators’ elimination from the Pakistan Super League, head coach Moin Khan criticized captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and explained why wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan is superior to him.
The ex-cricketer expressed his criticism candidly and reiterated that the 35-year-old has failed to demonstrate his capabilities in the T20 format in the past two years. He suggested that if the player is unable to increase his efforts, he should vacate his position for a younger player. Moin also disclosed that the team made a significant error by releasing South African player Rilee Rossouw, who has been performing exceptionally well in the ongoing tournament.
Moin Khan on Sarfaraz Ahmed
“Sarfaraz has been struggling in T20 since last two years. You have to perform better than your competition in order to get a spot in the national team. Rizwan worked hard and is reaping the rewards now. Rizwan is a sensible guy and is always among the top in ICC rankings. So if you have a competitor like that, then you should double your hard work or give way to a youngster. Quetta Gladiators made a mistake by releasing Rilee Rossouw. I regret that because I rate him very highly in T20,” Moin said.
Moin explained why Azam Khan was released
The coach also explained the rationale behind releasing Azam Khan before the eighth edition. He noted that the young player wasn’t receiving sufficient opportunities while Sarfaraz was present, forcing the team to make the difficult decision of releasing him.
“Similarly, we had to release Azam Khan. It was for the betterment of his career because he was not getting a spot in team as wicketkeeper because we already had Sarfaraz as a keeper,” Moin added.
The Gladiators’ season concluded with just three victories and seven losses. They are presently second to last in the points table, but if Karachi Kings defeat Lahore Qalandars in their final match, the Gladiators will finish at the bottom of the table.
