Dilemma over Pakistan’s captaincy continues

PERTH - Following Shahid Afridi’s suspension for a notorious ball tampering episode, Pakistan apparently has been left without any skipper for the T20 match against Australia on Friday, as Mohammad Yousuf has flown back home and former skipper Younus Khan is no longer part of the squad.

Yousuf, who captained Pakistan in the three Tests and first four one-dayers, sat out Sunday’s match because of knee trouble and is not part of the Twenty20 squad.

Despite his retirement, Younus played on Sunday, but manager Abdul Raqeeb has said that he would not participate in Friday’s match.

“It’s up to the PCB and we haven’t heard anything from Pakistan,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Raqeeb, as saying.

Allrounder Shoaib Malik and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal are among the candidates to take over the captaincy, but Pakistan’s selection process has also been complicated by the resignation of chief selector Iqbal Qasim.

Qasim quit after Pakistan were white-washed by Australia in the three-match Test series and five-game one-day series.

Malik captained Pakistan in 2007, while Kamran was Yousuf’s vice-captain in the Test series until he was dropped after his poor performance in the second Test in Sydney. (ANI)