Pakistan axe Waqar Younis as captain and appoint wicketkeeper Rashid Latif in his place.
Is this a step in the right direction?
Waqar paid the price for Pakistan's dismal showing at this year's Cricket World Cup.
Only last year Latif complained of being "too tired" to play cricket, and announced his retirement from Test cricket after persistent neck problems.
But Pakistan officials have convinced him to carry on, appointing batsman Yousaf Youhana as his deputy.
Is Latif the right man for the job? And are you optimistic for the future of Pakistani cricket?
Have Your Say using the form on the right-hand side of the page.
It is the time that Pakistan turn to their rookies instead of depending on the veterans
Have I missed something. I thought Rashid Latif and Wasim Akram were retiring from interenational cricket. Are we going to have an international team of retired players? Way to go PCB. Their decisions never seem to amaze me!
I am a great admirer of Waqar but can't in any way deny the fact that Wasim is far better than him, both as a bowler as well as a team player. Akram is the only one individual that I can see to take the responsibility, or even say has the capacity to captain Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board is destroying the whole Pakistan team. God help Pakistan.
Sumanth Yenduri, USA
An extremely good decision to axe the defensive-minded Waqar who simply had no clue on setting his field. Does he even know what a gully is?!
We lost to Australia to due to his inability to bring back the quicker bowlers and he didn't seem motivated enough. However appointing Rashid Latif is a mistake as Yousuf Youhana would have been a better choice. But at least Waqar is out
Rashid is a trustworthy individual who commands the respect of the other players. However, being 34 and having already "retired",his appointment can only be a short-term one.
I think the criteria for the captaincy should have been someone who justifies his position in the team as a player, and was capable of playing till at least the next World Cup. Yousuf Youhana is the only person who fits this description.
The only criticism that could go against him would be that he might be too laid-back to assume a role which requires one to exert tight control over the players.
It is interesting that Richard Pybus regards Younis Khan as captaincy material. However, I think Younis Khan still has to fully establish his place in the side as a batsman.
Latif as captain isn't the best idea. The guy is getting old and his health isn't too fabulous. We need some young and fresh blood in our cricket.
Ferman Haider, USA, Los Altos Hills
I think appointing Rashid Latif as the captain was a reasonable choice; his appointment is temporary until a young player is ready to take over.
It is the time that Pakistan turn to their rookies instead of depending on the veterans.
Ahmed Dilawer, Canada
I think for short term it is a good decision to pair Lateef with Youhana as vice captain. This would be a good chance to groom Youhana for future captaincy.
People have been saying Wasim Akram should have been the captain.
Why do people forget that he is probably the main cause of all the friction in the team? It's time for him to give other youngsters the chance to flourish.
Kashif, New York, NY. USA
This is a backward step with no foresight attached to the decision of appointing Rashid as the captain. The PCB should have followed the South African example by starting to build a team with 2007 World Cup as the target.
The best point to start this would have been the captaincy. I can see the next step being the continuation of the team with players who are living on past reputation and not on their present performance. The results will not change and Pakistan will continue to loose against one and all.
The overall outcome will be the lost interest at the grass root level with no new talent coming through just like what has happened to the national hockey and squash sides.
Latif is a stop-gap and nothing more
Latif is a very good choice. His appointment should be seen in tandem with Aamer Sohail's appointment as head of the selectors. These guys are very good friends and are renowned for their outspoken attitude for the cause of transparency and fairness in Pakistan cricket.
Together they will be able to pinpoint talent (Latif has been involved in many academies in Pakistan) and bring it to the fore. At the same time Latif will be able to groom Youhana as a future Pakistan captain - he is a class act and it will do no harm to Pakistan's image by having a Christian captain of a predominantly Muslim nation. Good luck boys!
Rana Naved Ul-Hassan, London, UK
Another pathetic decision by the PCB, Wasim Akram deserved to be captain as he is probably the only person able to get Pakistan out of the current mess. Saqlain Mushtaq should also have been named vice-captain.
Imran Chauhdry, England, UK
Latif is a stop-gap and nothing more, I hope. Saqlain should have been groomed for captaincy. He has the international experience and as well as county know-how and is one player who can lead from the front and should be able to gain automatic selection, but internal politics and player favouring has again seen him over looked.
It is a very hard choice to pick a new captain as there are no obviously outstanding candidates. Latif is welcome as a stop-gap while the re-shuffle begins. Once all the commotion has died down and the team begin to play cricket again, then hopefully a new, and younger, candidate will be available.
Imran Ahmad, UK
Anything is better than Waqar Younis as captain
Yousuf Youhana should have been the next Pakistan captain to succeed Waqar Younis. You can't go back to old players you have got to look at new talents.
Looking all the fiasco about captains after this World Cup, I think it is time to bring in non-playing captains into cricket. It works fine in the Davis Cup, where you have an older head thinking only about tactics, etc, leaving the talented players like Waqar, Pollock, etc, to do what they do best on the field.
Latif has captained Pakistan quite successfully before and was instrumental in blowing the cover on the match fixing scandal. He has over the past years shown himself to be a dedicated man of principle.
His knowledge of Pakistani cricket is second to non as he is involved deeply in the domestic game and I think that in this obviously transitional setup, he will provide stability and balance to a team in need of a cool head.
Anything is better than Waqar Younis as captain. Thank God the Pakistani board have seen sense. Pity it's only after the World Cup!
Javeed Khaliq, England
Rashid is a smart short-term choice
I'm glad Pakistan have resisted the calls to appoint a completely inexperienced captain, I feel Rashid is the right man with vast experience for what is a very tough time for Pakistan cricket. The appointment of Youhana as vice captain inspires hope in the future of Pakistan cricket.
There is no way Wasim should ever be appointed captain. I grew up idolising Akram as the great cricketer he is. But he has played politics with Pakistan cricket one too many times. He deserves a place in the side on his ability, but not as captain.
He should simply have been dropped for trying to undermine Waqar's captaincy in South Africa (no matter how bad Waqar's captaincy was). It's time to end player power.
Rashid is a smart short-term choice. Hopefully Youhana will be appointed vice captain and can take over in a year or so.
Asif Memon, Pakistan
Latif is definitely a better captain than Waqar provided the rest of the team co-operate with him. Pakistani cricket needs an overhaul - both management and team. Old horses should retire gracefully and make room for youngsters.
Mohammad Iqbal, Pakistan
The captaincy should be given to Saeed Anwar. Waqar Younis should never be allowed to have any part what-so-ever, to do with the team, ever again!!
The problem with the Pakistani team is not because of the players, or anything to do with team morale, but the 'only' reason for Pakistan's poor performances is POLITICS!! Re-appointing Javed Miandad as coach is the only good thing the PCB have done lately.
Insha-Allah, things will start to look up for the team now, we will al just have to wait and see, and hopefully, the politics of the country will not ruin, what seems to be a good chance for the team to shine again.
Latif should retile and let Taufiq Umar fill the slot
After Pakistan's performance in the World Cup it would take a lot to convince me that any member of the Pakistan team should me made captain. In my view all the players should be sacked not to mention the selectors.
We need a whole new team and we need to find genuine players who are not related to the selectors or veteran players.
Omar, England, UK
Rashid is a good choice. He and Akram work well and with Javed Miandad, I am sure they can groom a young fighting team.
Wasim Akram is from the Imran Khan school of thought and since he still is a world class act it should be him as captain, Latif should retile and let Taufiq Umar fill the slot.
I think we Pakistanis are going nuts. Rashid is a good keeper but can not be a good skipper. As a batsman, he has no outstanding record like other successful wicket keeper-batsman such as Rahul Dravid and Adam Gilchrist.
They should have tried someone like Saqlain or Yousaf Youhana
And being skipper earlier, his performance has not been good too. Wasim Akram is the best choice right now if he is not going to retire from IC cricket. Otherwise, Waqar should be kept as skipper with Rashid or Youhana as vice-captain.
Pakistan must not forget about Taufeeq Umar and Mohd. Sami. We should also bring in one right-handed batsman as opener to play with Saeed Anwar and we must let Afridi and Inzamam enjoy outside the team for at least one year.
Aleem A. Butt, Jordan
I feel that giving the captaincy to Rashid Latif is not really a good decision. They should have tried someone like Saqlain or Yousaf Youhana, someone who hasn't done it before.
Adnan Zafar, Birmingham, England
That's a fair enough decision, making Latif captain and Youhana his deputy. Javaid was the only choice for coach and I guess Jawaid and Youhana will be the combination we are looking for in the next WCUP 2007. Better decision.
Arshad Saeed, USA
It should have been Youhana. Latif should not even be in the squad. Moin Khan should have gone.
This was inevitable. I am surprised that Waqar is still in the team. Pakistani team needs rebuilding with new faces. Abdur Razzaq should have been given this opportunity. Latif has been captain before and does not have enough time left in the Pakistani team. Razzaq deserves a break.
Western Michigan University, MI, USA
Javed will make a batsman out of Afridi yet
Right now I think he is the right choice, but he has to lead the team like a Pakistani captain only, and nothing else. He must give all the players a tough time.
I think it's a decision in the right direction. A young team should be built around a senior and experienced player under the supervision of a great cricketing mind. That's what cricket board might have considered while taking these decisions. Let this combination run for some time, and please don't make rash decisions after every failure.
I wish Rashid every success especially as the new coach is JM, he should never have been sacked as coach, we can't go back to Wasim, he has two years at best left in him and Inzi is not motivated for captaincy.
Watch Pakistan bounce back now, Javed will make a batsman out of Afridi yet, you all watch.....
Waqar Younis no longer deserves a place in the Pakistan team on merit so the PCB's decision to replace him as captain is a logical one. However, it will be very difficult for Rashid Latif to combine 'keeping, batting and captaining the team, especially after having 'retired' once already due to the stresses of the modern game.
I think that selecting him as captain sends out the wrong message to the rest of the team. I personally would have gone for a younger man such as Saqlain, who may not have much captaincy experience, but is just about the only player who is worthy of automatic selection at the moment, and would surely inspire his team mates more than Rashid will.
Phil Vaughan-Smith, England
Every member of the Pakistan team seems to think they are the captain
Pakistan is just shuffling the deckchairs on the Titanic. Pakistan need to pick a young captain who can create a team that will listen and follow him.
Pakistan's long standing problem is that they field 11 excellent individuals but a poor team.
Appointing Latif as a captain is another big mistake the PCB has made, but no way should Wasim be appointed as a captain. I think his days are over.
Since Akram is not in the good books of PCB, I guess Latif is the only choice. At least better than S. Africa's decision to give captaincy to some 22-year-old Smith. Is it not?
Let's be fair, to captain Pakistan you have to be mental. To captain any side you have to be at least halfway to the funny farm. But to captain Pakistan, you have to be right round the bend.
At least he will have plenty of help when they take to the field. Every member of the Pakistan team seems to think they are the captain; they all like to add their two-penneth to the proceedings. Must be hard captaining under those conditions?
Only time will tell if he is the right choice. Pakistan cricket is in a poor way both on and off the field. Perhaps he is the man to bring it all together?
Wasim Akram should have been appointed as captain
It is said that sports science, professionalism and confidence is what sets Australia apart. I agree. It is also what sets Pakistan apart, in the other direction.
What they need is an inspirational leader who leads by example and can turn talent into a serious force. Currently, I can identify no one in the Pakistan team that fits this. Maybe when some of the players join County teams they will develop into captain material.
I don't think that Rashid Latif is the right choice, although I think Youhana is the right choice for vice captain. In my opinion Wasim Akram should have been appointed as captain of the side, because Wasim is the kind of person who inspires the players in the team.
This is almost funny, if it weren't so tragic. Nasser, Pollock, and now Waqar? Rashid Latif is not going to be able to do what Pakistani cricketers have been yearning for; for a long time - someone who can handle them like Imran Khan. Let's face it; Pakistan has a bunch of deadly bowlers but no one to back them in the form of batsmen.
All the PCB has done is taken the captaincy from one veteran and handed it to another. Pakistan cricket needs a new fresh look. Look at how India and Australia have benefited since appointing Ganguly and Ponting as captains.
Younger captains may not get early success but in the long run they can build a team who will play for them! Rashid Latif is a big mistake; the guy is too old and too tired to be captaining a side who's very low on morale!
Sam, Essex, UK