Wicketkeeper Moin Khan was handed the Pakistan cricket captaincy on Monday in place of Saeed Anwar after home series defeats by Sri Lanka at both limited overs and test level.
The appointment of Moin completes a double change in the running of the team after Javed Miandad took over as coach from Intikhab Alam on the eve of the current third and final test against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Moin has been appointed captain until July 13,'' Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Tauqir Zia said. Inzamam-ul-Haq will be his deputy.‘’
Pakistan are about to start an intense four-month period during which they will make tours of Sharjah, West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Zia said last Sunday that Anwar would continue as captain for these assignments but newspaper reports said the PCB was disappointed with the recent results against Sri Lanka and blamed Anwar for the failures.
``Anwar will retain his place in the team if he is fit,‘’ Zia said here on the second day of the third test, from which Anwar is absent because of neck and nose injuries.
If Anwar had kept the captaincy it would have put him in a close working relationship with Miandad, who resigned last April after a previous spell as coach following disagreements with a number of players, including Anwar.
Opening batsman Anwar had taken over as captain from Wasim Akram, who stepped down after a disastrous 1999-2000 tour of Australia where Pakistan lost three tests and six out of 10 one-day internationals.
Pakistan’s squad for a triangular series against India and South Africa in Sharjah is to be named later on Monday, but Zia confirmed Akram was not being considered.
``He is too valuable a player to be risked. He is not only out of Sharjah, he will not be considered for the (subsequent) one-day series in the West Indies,‘’ Zia said.
Akram bowled just 13 deliveries in the first test against Sri Lanka before suffering a groin injury that has kept him out of the rest of the series.
From Sharjah, the Pakistan team go to the Caribbean for a tri-series involving the hosts and Zimbabwe, then play three tests against West Indies.
In the last 11 months, Pakistan has had four cricket board chiefs, six coaches and three captains.
After appointing Javed as the coach this is the second good decision by the cricket board.
