KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators’ owner Nadeem Omar backed his franchise skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed after his side’s dismal campaign in the recently-concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight.
The Gladiators, who were considered the underdogs of the marquee league, won the title in 2019 after beating Peshawar Zalmi in the final.
The former champions, however, have been struggling since then to emulate their domination and failed to make it to the playoffs for the next four seasons.
The Gladiators’ dismal performance in four straight seasons resulted in their fans questioning Sarfaraz’s credibility as the franchise captain and criticised his individual performance.
Meanwhile, the Gladiators’ owner Nadeem, spoke to a private sports channel on the sidelines of a local event here and backed his franchise’s captain Sarfaraz despite all the ongoing criticism surrounding the wicketkeeper batter.
“I always say one thing, Sarfaraz is our hero and will remain our hero. Sarfaraz grew up in front of me, he won us U19 World Cup and Champions Trophy. Unfortunately, we unceremoniously dump players with lots of services for the country,” he lamented.
“Sarfaraz is a very good human and a cricketer. Recently, he proved himself during the Test series against New Zealand. We can’t throw him out just because people are saying,
“He is our trademark and Quetta will never leave him. We have time till next PSL, we will sit with Sarfaraz and discuss. I am sure Sarfaraz will never want Quetta’s downfall,” he highlighted.
Earlier, Sarfaraz also opened up on his future with the Gladiators, speaking in a YouTube podcast, said he has no plans to leave the side.
“I am associated with Quetta for the last eight years but my relationship with them is too old. I think since 2003 or 2004, I am with them. I guess I was just 17 when I first played for Nadeem Bhai’s team Omar Associates,” he recalled.
“I played for the Pakistan club and Nadeem Bhai saw and supported me during my growth as a cricketer. He is just like a father figure to me. I will not leave Quetta until they do,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention that Sarfaraz has been leading the Gladiators since the inception of the PSL in 2016. He represented the Gladiators in all their matches before finally missing two straight matches due to an injury.
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