Sacked Malik had Miandad and Qadir's backing

Karachi:

The majority wanted him out but sacked Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik had the backing of former PCB Director-General Javed Miandad and chief selector Abdul Qadir despite the crushing one-day series loss to Sri Lanka.

Malik was asked to step down as captain by the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt this week and senior batsman Younis Khan was appointed as the new captain for the coming Test series against Sri Lanka. Pakistan lost the the three-match one-day series 1-2.

"I told the Chairman that it was not the right time or right way to change the captain and even if Malik had to go it should be done after the Sri Lanka test series. I told him abruptly changing the captain after just one bad series would hurt the image of Pakistan cricket internationally," Miandad, who stepped down as PCB Director-General complaining of "insignificant" role in Board affairs earlier this week, said.

Qadir had also opposed axing Malik on the basis of the one-day series loss to Sri Lanka but coach Intikhab Alam, manager Yawar Saeed, chief operating officer Saleem Altaf and Butt wanted a new captain.

"I told them I didn't have objections to giving the captaincy to Younis but I was not in favour of the reasons given and procedure adopted to make the change," Miandad said.

"I just want to know what happens if Younis Khan also fails as captain in the test series against Sri Lanka. Will he also be changed as captain?" he asked.

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