Butt likely to be Pak Test captain for Eng tour

The Pakistan Cricket Board will announce the squads for next month's Asia Cup and the tour of England on May 22 and opener Salman Butt is likely to get the Test captaincy.

Sources said, acting on the advice of former coaches Intikhab Alam and Aaqib Javed, the PCB has ruled out selection of banned seniors like Mohammad Yousuf, YounisKhan and Shoaib Malik from selection.

"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 said.

"With Afridi still not inclined to play Tests and the selectors also not too keen to try him out, it appears that 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.

The PCB appears in no mood to forgive the three senior players who are automatic candidates for the captaincy and indications are their appeals against their bans before the appellate tribunal will not be dispensed with quickly.

"It is unlikely the appeals judge will give his verdict before the Asia Cup although Younis 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.

Sources said all indications are that the selectors would be bringing in several new faces for the tour to England where Pakistan is due to play six Tests against Australia and the hosts.

"You might see the return of discarded players like Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Hasan Reza plus the indication of some new faces," the source said.

He said Board Chairman Ijaz Butt held a meeting with coach Waqar Younis in London where the team stopped over while returning from the West Indies after playing in the World T20 Cup.

"In all likelihood Waqar has also supported the appointment of Butt as Test captain," the source said.

Butt, meanwhile, said no decision has been made as yet on who will lead the team in the Asia Cup and on the England tour.

"This will all be decided when I meet with the selectors on May 21 and 22," he said.

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is also likely to get a nod for the upcoming events from the selectors.