Kevin Pietersen wants Sarfraz to lead Pakistan in World Cup

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has urged Pakistan cricket authorities to keep Sarfarz Ahmed as captain till 2019 World Cup, saying he is a good leader and knows the game well.

Pietersen, who is playing his last tournament of his career, smashed a 34-ball 48 to guide Quetta Gladiators to a comfortable six-wicket win over Islamabad United.

Following the game, the English star praised Sarfraz and termed Pakistan lucky to have such a knowledgeable captain. “Pakistan is very lucky to have Sarfraz as a captain,” said KP, while talking about the captain of Pakistan team and Quetta Gladiators.

“All the players like him, he has got a very good cricket brain and with World Cup just 12 months away, I think that it would be a very clever decision for Pakistan Cricket Board to say to Sarfraz to take pressure off him and say that ‘you are leading our team to the World Cup.”

“You cannot replace a captain in the last 12 months because if you replace a captain after a captain does well like Sarfraz has done, he is a very good man and a great leader, so if you replace him that new captain can think that even he can get replaced before the World Cup,” he suggested.

“So from my experience you back your captain so if you back your captain, your players will feel safe,” he added. KP admitted his role for Quetta has turned more responsible as he is playing for the last time.

Speaking about his illustrious career, Pietersen said he did not want to continue and has enough of cricket. “I am done. I hate fielding. Fielding does my head in,” said Pietersen of his international career which began in 2005.

"I have been very lucky to have played 20 years of professional cricket without any major injury. A lot of people say you leave while you are on the top, so if I can keep performing like this then its good,” he added.

It is worth to mention here that Quetta Gladiators will lock horns against Peshawar Zalmi today.