Salman’s appointment as Pakistan’s fourth Test captain in the last 13 months following Shahid Afridi’s retirement from Test cricket after a one-match comeback act was confirmed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt yesterday in a hurriedly-arranged meeting involving the team management and senior players.
“We’ve decided to name Salman as the captain with immediate effect and he’ll remain incharge for the next five Tests starting next week in Leeds,” the PCB chairman told The Express Tribune following the meeting at the team hotel in London. “Afridi informed us that he won’t be able to play in Leeds owing to injury so we had to act fast and name his successor. We’ve also named Kamran Akmal as Salman’s deputy for the Test matches.”
Salman, who top-scored for Pakistan both innings at Lord’s, exalted Afridi’s limpidity and clarity while announcing his retirement from Test cricket decision keeping the team in mind but echoed his predecessor’s view on being patient with the results due to a young squad.
“Afridi took the captaincy after we had a poor tour of Australia and it was a difficult time then,” Salman told The Express Tribune following the PCB’s decision. “I respect his decision to retire because not many people would’ve gone through it like this and made the decision he did.
“As vice-captain, naturally I was prepared to take over in case it was needed. But the important thing is to carry the team and my form forward going into the remaining Test matches. We have a very good young unit, the new guys have done particularly well against world-class bowling in testing conditions.”
Salman will become the 14th player to lead Pakistan in a Test following Imran Khan’s retirement in 1992. Afridi, who came out of his self-imposed four-year exile, lasted only one match in which he scored a 13-ball 31 and a four-ball two before holding out to midwicket. Afridi confirmed to The Express Tribune that he will be part of the One-Day International and Twenty20 squad that will take on England following the four back-to-back matches against the same opposition.
Salman has urged the PCB to persist with the youngsters in a similar manner to Lord’s in the absence of Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf in order to build a stable team for the future.
“The team that we played at Lord’s was a step forward. If we play this unit for eight to 10 months, I think we’ll be able to beat any side. We have almost the same team as the one that beat Australia in the two Twenty20s and even though we lost two matches in the Asia Cup, the performance was still satisfactory.
“All we need now is patience, from the players and from the fans. Experience doesn’t have any shortcuts. We have to give ourselves and the youngsters some time and work hard. they I’m sure the talent we have can carry this team forward for another 10 to 12 years.”
Shahid Afridi
“I think that Salman Butt is a good appointment. The way he’s been playing and applying himself in the match, he’ll be able to lead well He’s been contributing so it’s a good choice.”
Aamir Sohail
“Butt has been performing for a long time but he will be needing guidance and support as a captain. I hope his career is not affected if desired results will do not come under his captaincy.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 18th, 2010.
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