Despite Pakistan failing to reclaim the Twenty/20 World Cup champions crown under the leadership of Shahid Afridi, PakPassion.net has learnt that Afridi will be named by the Pakistan Cricket Board as skipper for the Asia Cup due to commence next month in Sri Lanka.

 By Saj Sadiq

20th May 2010

 

Despite Pakistan failing to reclaim the Twenty/20 World Cup champions crown under the leadership of Shahid Afridi, PakPassion.net has learnt that Afridi will be named by the Pakistan Cricket Board as skipper for the Asia Cup due to commence next month in Sri Lanka.

Sources close to Shahid Afridi speaking earlier to PakPassion.net stated that "Yes Afridi will skipper the team in Sri Lanka. I think he has impressed the selectors and Board and the fact that the squad played as a unit and backed each other up in a very positive way, has swayed the decision makers".

Afridi skippered Pakistan in the fifth one day international in Australia replacing Mohammad Yousuf who was dropped for the match and since then has been the regular captain of the team in the Twenty over format.

Afridi would be the first to admit that he was not at his best during the Twenty/20 World Cup averaging 15.16 with the bat and picking up 4 wickets at an average of 45.50 and an economy rate of 7.58. Despite Afridi not being the match winner that he was during the 2009 World Cup, his team was within a whisker of reaching their third consecutive Twenty/20 World Cup Final.

Afridi has impressed the Board and selectors enough to be given the opportunity to skipper the team in what promises to be a hotly contested Asia Cup featuring the hosts Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and of course Pakistan.

It is however unclear whether Afridi will skipper the team on the extended tour of England where Pakistan play 6 test matches, 4 Twenty/20 matches and 5 one day internationals between July and September.

The complication regarding Afridi's appointment as skipper for the entire tour of England would it seem be the fact that Afridi has not played test cricket since July 2006. As a result of this, the Board may either have to ask Afridi to consider playing the 5 day version of the game once again or look to appoint separate captains for the one day and test format.