Karachi: With selection of banned senior players like Muhammad Yousuf, Younus Khan and Shoaib Malik, who are automatic candidates for the captaincy, being ruled out by the Pakistan Cricket Board, opener Salman Butt is likely to get the Test captaincy for next month’s Asia Cup and the tour of England.

According to sources, the PCB has taken the call to rule out the three banned players for the selection owing to the advice given by former coaches Intikhab Alam and Aaqib Javed.

“This is the suggestion that Aaqib gave to the inquiry committee of the board during the hearings in February and March and he had told them to appoint a compromise candidate for the tests in England against Australia and England,” a source told PTI.

“With Afridi still not inclined to play Tests and the selectors also not too keen to try him out, it appears Salman Butt who has been in good form in recent matches might get the captaincy for the tests in England while Afridi would be retained as one-day captain for Asia Cup,” the source said.

By the look of it, it doesn’t seem like the PCB is in any mood to forgive the three senior players and indications are their petitions against their bans before the appellate tribunal will not be dispensed quickly.

“It is unlikely the appeals judge will give his verdict before the Asia Cup, although Younus has been insisting that he should atleast give him temporary relief and suspend the indefinite ban imposed on him by the board,” the source noted.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has also backed the choice of Salman Butt as Test captain, saying that he is the best man for the job. “Salman (Butt) has performed really well in recent times. Afridi’s place in the Test squad is not fixed, so there is no question of him being made the skipper,” Akram said.

“In the absence of senior blokes like Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan and Shoaib Malik, Salman is the right choice for the job,” he told ESPN Mobile.

Related News Headlines

• No Related Post

Cricketain Latest

• Sachin, Dhoni, Sehwag in race for ICC awards
• No-ball row: Sangakkara takes full responsibility
• BCCI will not pursue no-ball matter with SLC
• BCCI denies compelling fatigued cricketers to play
• Bowlers in desperate need of a break: MS Dhoni
• Yuvraj out with dengue, Nehra uncertain for Sri Lanka ODI
• “Pakistan players should be allowed to play in IPL 4”
• ECB asks Pietersen to stay away from Lalit Modi
• Munaf Patel called up as cover for Ishant
• Final squads for CLT20 announced, Flintoff not in CSK squad