The defeat to Sri Lanka may have cost Shoaib Mallik his job and if speculation is to be believed, Younis Khan will decide the fate of the current skipper.
The 2-1 defeat to Sri Lanka in the one day series has apparently irked the chairman of the PCB, Ejaz Butt, to the extent that he has offered the captaincy to Younis Khan and Khan is reported to have accepted it.
Younis Khan had previously refused to lead the Pakistan side after the 2007 World Cup and the exit of Inzamam ul Haq because the terms were not acceptable to him. Now it will be interesting to see if the scenario has changed or if the Pakistan Cricket Board is in a mood to accommodate his demands, in the interest of giving Pakistan a better skipper.
Just days ago, Mallik dismissed reports of his own failed captaincy, and stated his opinion on Shoaib Akhtar’s fitness. But it was widely speculated that Mallik had not earned the respect of the seniors such as Mohammad Yousuf who blamed him for the latter joining up with the ICL, as also Shahid Afridi with whom there were often confrontrations.
This turnabout from the PCB was unexpected as only in December did they ratify Mallik as skipper of the Pakistan team. But in light of his inability to really bring about a consistent string of results and the fact that only Younis Khan is the only reliable option, the PCB had little option but to turn to the stalwart despite having burnt their fingers once before.
Sri Lanka may have inadvertently effected a change as Pakistan field a new skipper after Sri Lanka complete their one day assignment back home against India.
Shoaib Mallik Doubts Shoaib Akhtar’s Fitness
