Protesters want prime minister to keep Sarfaraz as captain

Associated Press
Updated
Pakistani captain and wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed, center, celebrates the dismissal of Sri Lankan batsman Danushka Gunathilaka during the second Twenty20 match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Lahore, Pakistan, Monday, Oct. 7, 2019. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat in the second Twenty20 against Pakistan. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of people have protested the firing of Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain of Pakistan's test and Twenty20 cricket teams.

Protesters gathered in front of Sarfaraz's home in the southern port city of Karachi on Sunday. They demanded cricket great and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan restore Sarfaraz as captain ahead of the T20 and test series against Australia next month.

Sarfaraz missed the protest as he was playing in a National Twenty20 Cup match in Faisalabad.

"The way Sarfaraz is being removed, it's very wrong," said Shahnaz Khurram, who was among the protesters. "He was a very good captain in all the three formats. He was removed after losing such a low-profile series (against Sri Lanka) which is totally wrong."

The Pakistan Cricket Board fired Sarfaraz on Friday after Sri Lanka beat top-ranked Pakistan 3-0 in a T20 series at Lahore.

Babar Azam has replaced Sarfaraz as Pakistan's T20 captain, and Azhar Ali has been appointed test captain.

The fans chanted "Sarfaraz zindabad" (Long Live Sarfaraz) and held up "Go Misbah Go" banners to express their anger against head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq.

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