Butt replaces Afridi as Pakistan captain
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Your support makes all the difference.Salman Butt will captain Pakistan for the remaining Test matches on their tour of England following Shahid Afridi's shock decision to retire from the five-day game.
Afridi stunned Pakistan supporters with his announcement after his team lost the first Test against Australia by 150 runs at Lord's on Friday – his first Test as skipper. The 30-year-old all-rounder cited a lack of temperament for the long form of the game and a side strain for his decision and will not travel with the team to Leeds for the second Test, which begins on Wednesday.
Following a hastily arranged Pakistan Cricket Board weekend meeting, the opener Butt – who top-scored in both innings at Lord's – was named as Afridi's replacement for the Headingley Test as well as the following three-Test series against England.
"This morning we have decided that Salman Butt will captain the team from now," a PCB spokesman said. "He will captain the team against Australia in the next Test and he will then also lead the team against England. Kamran Akmal is the vice-captain. The PCB will then decide on who will captain the Test team from then on."
Afridi is expected to remain in charge of Pakistan's one-day and Twenty20 teams. He is set to stay in England with family over the coming days, but is expected to return to Pakistan to assess his fitness before the limited- overs series against England, which begins on 5 September.
The PCB spokesman also confirmed they would not look to replace Afridi in their 16-man Test squad, despite speculation of a recall for the controversial veteran batsmen Younus Khan or Mohammad Yousuf.
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