KARACHI // The all-rounder Shahid Afridi was confirmed as Pakistan's World Cup captain following his team's one-day series victory in New Zealand.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named their 15-man squad for the tournament opening on February 19 without naming a captain, fuelling speculation that Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq could be appointed ahead of Afridi.
However in a statement on Friday the PCB said Afridi, 30, a veteran of 311 one-day internationals, will lead the side for the World Cup which will be jointly hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Misbah-ul-Haq will be the vice-captain.
"The board has also retained Waqar Younis as chief coach and Aaqib Javed as bowling consultant for the World Cup," PCB media manager, Nadeem Sarwar said. He gave no explanation for the delay in naming a captain.
Sarwar said the board had also decided to send security advisor Wasim Ahmed with the team while former captain Intikhab Alam will continue as team manager.
Pakistan are in Group A of the World Cup alongside Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif said Afridi was the correct choice. "It was the logical thing to do because he has now been leading the one-day side since last year and the players are also comfortable with him and understand his leadership style," Latif said.
"If anything I don't understand what prompted the board to delay the announcement. It only led to speculation which is not good for Pakistan cricket ahead of such an important event."
Another former Test captain Zaheer Abbas said Afridi would now have to show great responsibility.
"He has a golden chance to create history for Pakistan because we haven't won the World Cup since 1992. Afridi because of his experience was the right choice," Zaheer said.
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
