Inzamam confirmed captain for West Indies series

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that Inzamam-ul-Haq will lead Pakistan in the home series against West Indies next month. Younis Khan, the stand-in captain for the ongoing Champions Trophy in India, will be his deputy. Dr Naseem Ashraf, the new PCB chairman, announced the news after the board's ad hoc committee meeting in Lahore.

Inzamam was banned for four matches by the ICC for bringing the Oval Test into disrepute - owing to the ball-tampering controversy - which forced him out of the Champions Trophy. Younis initially refused the captaincy, stating that he did not wish to be a "dummy captain", but was quickly reinstated after Shaharyar Khan resigned from his post as PCB chairman. The new regime, under Ashraf, also sacked Mushtaq Ahmed as assistant coach for the tournament.

Ashraf announced that Pakistan would have a paid selection committee immediately after the World Cup next year in the West Indies. He added that there was no need to revamp the selection committee at this stage.

"The ad hoc set-up considers the long standing issue of the paid selection committee and has unanimously decided that it is not the appropriate time to make any changes in the committee," he was quoted in Dawn, a Karachi-based daily. "The present selectors who raised the team should be given time to see the ultimate results of their selection in the World Cup.

"Immediately after the World Cup, the paid selection committee will be formed for which the board will suggest the job description and they will be watching the entire domestic season to pick the best lot for the different teams."

Among other issues, Naseem said that the committee had also recommended the appointment of a chief operating officer in the PCB to give it a corporate setup and that an advisory council would also be formed in which cricket experts and former cricketers would be included to get their inputs. He added that the PCB would take steps to make the National Cricket Academy more effective, in order to identify talented players for the national team.