Well Akhtar is the most intelligent player in this team and he can lead by example and he can deliver when Pakistan needs him the most and he can motivate others. He is a born leader. There is no other player in this team who is a better player than him or who is more intelligent than him, or who is a better motivator.
I understood you on mentality, but every society is unique in a few things. In UK people like to watch sports in stadiums and you could have seen more crouds if the WC was held in UK. Similarly Pakistan is a different societ. Many big players started playing in streets but it does not mean they were not as good as those who started playing in big clubs of Australia. Similarly seniority means respect and that rule is followed in every part of society and in institutions of Pakistan.
What about Umar Gul ?? He is one of only 2-3 players who make both ODI and test teams and he is young and honest cricketer.
Shoaib Malik is another one but he is yet to convince that he is good enough for tests, Razzaq and Afridi are in the same boat, Younis on the other hand doesn't deserve to play ODI's so we are only left with Yousuf, Akmal, Gul and Asif (regular members of test and ODI teams) so anyone of these should become captain.
Yousef is a non-starter because he's basically Inzamam - The Sequel. Akmal is on shaky ground as it is, and the fast bowlers never make good Captains. Has to be a batter or an allrounder. Malik is a good choice as well, however Butt has the added experience of having captained throughout the junior leagues as well as the domestic scene. It should be between Malik and Butt......Afridi and Razzaq should not even captain their muhalla teams.
I am a big fan of Salman Butt, he is a decent player who knows the value of his wicket but he needs to find a place in the side before getting captaincy.
Ok. Lets work this out realistically.
Assuming for a completely insane moment that Butt is appointed Captain. Then how will the rest of the team shape up?
I am guessing lota group won't mind playing under any one however, mr. YoYo will certainly be dropped, either from the get-go or after a series as he won't deliver.
1. Salman Butt - C
2. ?? (Imran Nazir, Hafeez ??)
3. Yasir Hameed
4. Mohammed Yousuf
5. Shoaib Malik (ODIs) / Asim Kamal (Test)
6. Afridi / Faisal or any New bacha
7. New Wicket keeper - Zulqy or other
8. Gul
9. Asif
10. Abdur Rehman (ODIs) / Kaneria (Test)
11. Sami / Rao / Actor
Coach - Aaqib Javed
Manager - Intikhab Alam
Media Guy - Pajama Mera - Kurta Tera a.k.a PJ Mir.
This way PCB will get their dummy captain and Coach and Manager will control the team under remote control from Cheemi Ashraf.
If Butt or Malik are appointed captain - then the teams should be split - ie different teams for ODIS and tests....for ODIS you could go with a much younger side...one that can stay together for the next few years to be ready for the next world cup - so lets say..Salman Butt,Imran Nazir,Yasir Hameed,Hassan Raza,Fawad Alam,Khalid Latif,Khurram Manzoor,Adnan Raza,Shahid Afridi,Abdul Razzaq,Kamran Akmal,Yasir Arafat,Mohammad Sami,Umar Gul,Mohammad Asif,Rao Iftikhar,Mansoor Amjad.....thats 17 guys you can choose from for ODIs...for tests...Salman Butt,Yasir Hameed,Shahid Yousef,Asim Kamal,Mohd Yousef,Younis Khan,Khalid Latif,Shoaib Malik,Sarfraz Ahmed,Kaneria,Gul,Asif,Akhtar, - these 14 would be the main players......meaning the seniors such as Yousef,Younis and Akhtar can play in the tests, while the ODI team is made up of younger players. You can even go with 2 captains...Butt for ODIs and Younis for Tests for that matter....if thats what the PCB wants.
Intikhab Alam as Manager though would be suicide. The guy is ancient and a total wuss...you need a strong manager who can enforce discipline....someone like Majid Khan.
Lets see now, since YoYo (as I fittingly coined this name for him at the ICCCT) has officially declined the role, who will be the choice of PCB?
In all possibility it can be Butt (girl face) or Malik. Even though Malik would struggle to lead the side from the front in Test Cricket.
Most of the participants are either favoring Butt or Malik but what we are forgetting is that a captain should be an automatic choice purely on performance and not because he is a captain so he must be in the side. I don't see Malik or Butt as a automatic choice for the test squad unless they prove otherwise. Same is true for Razzaq, Afridi, and Akmal. Our fast bowlers are too fragile to be considered for captaincy as perhaps none of them has consistently played 10 tests without getting unfit. Younis has declined captaincy. So our choices are really limited.
In my opinion, Yousaf should be made an interim captain and first of all we should identify our core playing 11, or 15 for that matter. Lets give Butt, Yasir, Misbah, Taufeeq, and Shoaib Malik some more chances to see whom amongst them can find permanent spots in the team and then decide who would be the long term captain.
Above comments are more focussed towards test cricket but I guess the captain should be the same in both forms of cricket. Other players can vary even though having a common pool of 15 players to choose from for either ODIs or Test would be a desirable approach.
