KARACHI: Pakistan's senior batsman Azhar Ali is set to lose his ODI captaincy but will be appointed as captain of the Test team after the retirement of veteran Misbah-ul-Haq.

Besides, chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq has advised the PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan to appoint wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed as the captain of the ODI team for the tour to the West Indies in March-April, sources in PCB said. “Inzamam has conveyed to PCB Chairman and other high officials about some radical changes needed in the national team set-up following the disastrous tour to New Zealand and Australia,” a well-informed source in PCB said.

He said it had been decided that the PCB Chairman and the chief selector would be having a talk with both Misbah and senior batsman Younis Khan to let them know about the board’s future plans. “It has been decided in principle that Misbah would be advised to announce his retirement after the Test series against the West Indies as captain while Younis would also be advised to call it a day after he completes 10,000 Test runs in the three Tests in the West Indies,” the source said.

He said it has also been decided in principle that after the West Indies tour, Azhar will take over as the new Test captain. “But Sarfaraz will be appointed as the captain of the one-day squad before the West Indies tour in addition to his responsibility as captain of the T20 side,” the source confirmed.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2017