Pakistan cricket is in for a major crisis as Younis Khan has refused to take over as captain from Inzamam-ul-Haq who stepped down and retired from one-day internationals after the World Cup.
"The Chairman Nasim Ashraf informed the Board that Younis had told him two days ago he didn't want to get into the tension of leading the senior team and would rather prefer playing as a senior batsman," a Pakistan Cricket Board source said.
The source disclosed that the PCB ad-hoc committee meeting in Lahore was considering the names of Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt as potential candidates after Younis expressed his reluctance to lead the side.
"Ashraf said he was still trying to convince Younis who was the first choice to lead Pakistan," the source said.
He said the committee then discussed Butt and Malik as possible candidates if Younis didn't change his stance.
The source also said that the committee rejected all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf's names as unfit for the job keeping in mind their future.
He said the team manager at the World Cup, Talat Ali, had submitted his tour report and made it clear that there was a leadership crisis in the team after Inzamam's quitting.
He said the team manager at the World Cup, Talat Ali, had submitted his tour report and made it clear that there was a leadership crisis in the team after Inzamam's quitting.
"Talat has in his report clearly written that there is no player fit enough to captain the senior team, an observation that has heightened the captaincy crisis."
The PCB was faced with a similar situation six months ago when Younis refused to lead the side in the Champions Trophy when Inzamam was put out of action by a four-match ODI ban.
Then, however, Ashraf managed to convince Younis to change his mind within 48 hours.