Could have been worse for Sarfraz, says Shoaib Akhtar after four-match ban

Pakistan cricket captain Sarfraz Ahmed was handed over a four match suspension by the International Cricket Council (ICC), after he was caught via the stump mics making a racist comment against the South African all rounder Andile Phehlukwayo in the Durban ODI.

However, former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar believes that Sarfraz was fortunate as the punishment could have been much worse for the skipper. “Sarfraz committed the mistake unintentionally, and it was a good sign that he apologized. However, it could have been much worse, because if this kind of racism happened in football one could lose the entire World Cup and face ban for years,” said Akhtar, while talking to local media.

“Racism is a crime, so I think the suspension was very good for the Pakistan cricket team. I am hopeful that Sarfraz will make a good comeback after the suspension, because we need him in the World Cup as he is a lucky captain and has a good combination of players on his side,” added Akhtar.

Earlier, Sarfraz accepted the charge related to ICC's Anti-Racism Code, under which he will miss the last two ODIs of the series against South Africa, and the first two T20Is early next month. Meanwhile, Sarfraz will also undertake an education programme 'to promote the understanding and awareness of issues directly relevant to the offence that he has committed'.

In the second ODI in Durban when Phehlukwayo was batting in the middle, Sarfraz was picked by the mic stump calling the all rounder "black guy" in Urdu. The Pakistan captain's comment roughly translated to: "Hey black guy, where's your mother sitting today? What [prayer] have you got her to say for you today?"

After the game, Sarfraz took to Twitter and issued an apology and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also apologized expressing ‘regret over the remark made by’ him.