Shahid Afridi announced as Pakistan captain
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Shahid Afridi was selected as Pakistan captain yesterday for the Asia Cup and Test series against Australia and England.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt made the announcement in Lahore confirming Afridi as the country’s third Test captain in 15 months after Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were indefinitely suspended by the PCB due to alleged infighting.
However, the selection committee also included Younis in a list of 35 probable players — subject to his pending appeal against the suspension.
After his indefinite ban, Yousuf retired from international cricket. Afridi said he tried unsuccessfully to persuade Yousuf to come out of retirement.
“I talked to him on telephone yesterday and requested him to reconsider his retirement, but he refused to do so,” said Afridi, who added that Yousuf was now coaching in Canada. “I still believe Yousuf can play international cricket for two to three more years.”
Afridi has not played a Test since taking on England at Manchester in 2006, and is looking forward to making a contribution.
“I have taken up this as a challenge because I feel Pakistan is going through some tough times now and it needs the guidance of senior players,” he said. “If we play as a unit, I am hopeful of good results.
“Definitely, there will be the pressure of captaincy on me, but a player can only be judged when he competes under pressure.”
Pakistan is scheduled to play the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in June before playing two Tests against Australia in England in July and four Tests against England.
Former captain Shoaib Malik, who was also suspended for one year and fined two million rupees ($23,500) for ill discipline during the series in Australia, was included in the 35 players.
“Both Younis and Malik’s inclusions are subject to their outcome of the appeals,” Butt said.
Selectors picked injury-prone fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar among the 35, but chief selector Mohsin Khan said the players will all have to pass fitness tests before they are picked in the final squads.
The 15-member squad for the Asia Cup will be announced in the first week of next month after a short training camp at Karachi.
Probables: Shahid Afridi (captain), Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Khurram Manzoor, Shahzaib Hasan, Azhar Ali, Azeem Ghumman, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Hasan Raza, Azhar Shafiq, Umar Amin, Aamir Sajjad, Mohammad Hafeez, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Tanveer Ahmed, Ejaz Cheema, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Kamran Akmal, Zulqarnain Haider.
