Misbah-ul-Haq named Pakistan’s latest Test captain
The revolving door of the Pakistan Test captaincy has ushered in yet another new face for the job, and this time it will be http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972 taking the reins in the five-day format.
Misbah takes over the role from Salman Butt – who is currently serving a provisional suspension from cricket handed down by the ICC when it charged Butt, and pacemen Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif under its Anti-Corruption Code.
Butt had spent a total of five Tests as skipper – one against Australia and four against England over the summer. It was the last of them, at Lord’s in late August that gave rise to tabloid paper News of the World’s spot-fixing allegations (revolving around the delivery of no-balls at predetermined points in the match) against Butt, Amir and Asif; the ICC’s charges against the trio followed soon after.
Their appeals against the provisional suspensions are due to be heard at the end of October, but that means that none of the three have been named the Pakistan squad for the series against South Africa in the UAE, which begins with a Twenty20 International on October 26th.
Misbah now becomes Pakistan’s fourth Test captain for 2010 alone, with Mohammad Yousuf and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 during July) at the helm before pulling the plug.
The 36-year-old Misbah last played Test cricket during Pakistan’s winless 2009/10 tour of Australia, after which Yousuf was handed an indefinite suspension from cricket by the PCB (who also punished other players for their roles in creating disharmony within the team after that tour). Yousuf returned to the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 squad during their controversial tour of England.
Misbah will lead Pakistan for two Tests against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 during November, while Afridi will remain the Twenty20 International and ODI captain.
Pakistan’s 16-man Test squad to face South Africa is: Imran Farhat, Taufeeq Umar, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Saeed Ajmal, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314, Abdur Rehman, Zulquarnain Haider, Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, and Sohail Tanvir (subject to fitness).
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