Clad in a white salwar kurta — awami suit as it’s called in Pakistan, dark jacket, and a white topi on his head, Inzamam-ul-Haq stood at the indoor nets at Old Trafford. By his side stood Pakistan’s captain Sarfraz Ahmed and the bowling coach Azhar Mahmood. An animated Inzamam held court for 15 minutes at least, Sarfraz stood hands across his chest and so did Inzybhai’s former team-mate Mahmood, who kept shuffling sideways. It was as intense as one has ever seen Inzamam on the field. Outside the arena, the sun was sucking out the dampness from the roads and parks and infusing hope in the fans about the possibility of cricket on Sunday.
Sarfraz is a fascinating character. Perhaps, the Pakistan captain with the least regal aura about him. A common-man turned king. He talks fast, really rapid as Michael Slater gasped during a PSL tournament. He lisps in Urdu, but it seems less when he converses in English. He not only speaks rapidly but talks a lot on the field. Shouts occasionally.
When Hasan Ali was strangely subdued on the field in the Champions Trophy game against India, Sarfraz yelled, “Calm, sab chodd dey, bhaag”. (Forget being calm, run!) When Rumman Raees didn’t listen to Sarfraz’s suggestion to mix up his deliveries, he shouted out, “C’mon Rumi! Hadh kar di yaar tune, four balls same place? What are you bowling?” In the Thursday game, at Taunton, he was again all over his team, admonishing Wahab Riaz for spraying a rare delivery, speaking a lot to Shaheen Afridi, and saying no many times to Babar Azam, standing next to him at slips and presumably sharing ideas. “I know him for long. Jiska niyat theek hai na (whose integrity and intent is good), you don’t mind them shouting. It’s for our good, for the team,” Imaad Wasim had said once about Sarfraz’s yelling.
But life hasn’t been as great as it was in the immediate aftermath of Champions Trophy triumph. Back then, he was the people’s hero. People thronged his house and continued to pour in for weeks. “After Shahid Afridi, I’m seeing this public adulation — a special crazy sort of love — for the first time. There’ve been other big players like Misbah and Younis who have people’s respect, but only Afridi commanded such love. Now it’s Sarfraz. He is the biggest cricketing star right now,” Salim Khaliq, a sports editor who lives across the street from Sarfraz, had told this newspaper.
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