KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering a move to appoint Salman Butt as captain for the two Test series taking place in England against the hosts and Australia with Shahid Afridi likely to lead the Twenty20 and the One-Day International (ODI) squads.

According to sources, the team management, including coach Waqar Younis, as well as the PCB officials all seem to agree on Salman’s appointment viewing Afridi’s reluctance to return to the Test arena. Afridi has not played a Test for almost four years and while the all-rounder has not confirmed his decision to stay away from Test matches, his return looks highly unlikely.

Pakistan’s next appointment is the Asia Cup that starts from June15 in Sri Lanka followed by the tour of England where it will play two Twenty20s and two Tests against Australia as well as four Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20s against the hosts. While the tour is still over a month away, the PCB is already mulling over the possible candidates for the threemonth long tour.

“Nothing has been confirmed as far as the captaincy is confirmed,” Ijaz told The Express Tribune from London where he is meeting with his English counterpart Giles Clarke. “The squads for the Asia Cup and the tour of England will be named together on May 22 or 24 as the team will depart for London directly from Sri Lanka after the Asia Cup.” The sources added that Salman, who finished as the third-highest scorer in the recently- concluded 2010 World Twenty20, has the backing of the coach as well as the senior players in the team and is on good terms with all team members.

Pakistan may head to the one-day tournament in Sri Lanka and the tour of England hampered by the absence of key players including Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan and Shoaib Malik, with all three banned by the PCB. Younus and Malik have filed appealed against their bans, the hearing dates have set as May 22 and 29 respectively. As a result, Malik, if successful, may be able to make his international comeback while Younus may have to wait until the Test series in England.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 18th, 2010.

pretty stupid move, so now whoever does the best in any one series gets appointed as captain for the next??? great going pcb, what a way to create a stable prosperous long-term future.

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Afridi is the clear choice for ODIS and T20Is.

Salman Butt isn't one of the better available.

So i'm not too bothered.

More than his leadership, i'm concerned about the time when his batting flops and he his place is in doubt

who would you have as test captain?

yousaf, younis, malik banned.

afridi doesn't play tests. Misbah's place and future near to end. Razzaq hasn't played a test since idk when

people left: Akmal Brothers, Asif, Ajmal, Kaneria(LOL), Aamer?

Well if Afridi doesnt want to return to the Test scene as the article states then the move is pretty simple. Good decision by the PCB...Afridi for T20 and ODI and Butt for Tests.

As aazhar rightly points out there isnt another choice.

agree with you.. they should bring back Yousuf.

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^lol...bring back yousuf.

uss ki maal ko phone ker kain convince karay kia PCB?

he himself doesnt wanna play.

get over it.
yousuf is done.



salman butt it is...although i think he is a horrible choice...

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Salman butt is good choice may be after 2 years ..... right now not sure... I hope who ever is the captain clicks....I am also concerned about afridi's reflexes...hope he finds his old instincts back in batting

lol Now, it's Butt's turn to join the musical chair game of captains.

Kamran Akmal should have been test captain, I think hes more deserving but if its butt then I will support him too

How exactly does salman butt qualify for captaincy
Gosh Ijaz Butt is certainly losing his mind,or maybe he has

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All these posts above about Butt not being the right choice.

Could you spare 1.5 secs of your time and also write WHO would YOU make the captain?

ohhhhhhhhh..........ok........my bad...........maybe ur suggesting we play without captain?

Zardari for captain!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think PCB should talk to Afridi and bring him back into test team as captain.....I dont know why he doesn't want to play the real game

I agree, as pakistan and afridi fan I am quiet dissapointed hes saying no to test cricket

i'd like to see a bowler captain, like umar gul. b/c of captaincy, butt's own form will suffer. then he will be sacked as captain, and whoever happens to be performing at the time will be given the captaincy. and this cycle will continue forever...until ijaz butt gets out of his kursi

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