Nawaz urges Khan to quite one-day cricket

Former Pakistan star Sarfraz Nawaz says Younis KhanYounis Khan's sudden resignation from the Pakistan captaincy was a smoke screen to disguise his shortcomings in the one-day game.

As Khan considers the Pakistan Cricket Board's requests that he change his mind and resume the captaincy, Nawaz said the player should give up on one-day cricket and concentrate on tests.

"Just like Younis quit Twenty20 format of the game, now it's high time he should forget playing one-day cricket too," Nawaz told the Associated Press.

"It's better he should play only as a team member in test matches."

Khan retired from Twenty20 cricket after leading Pakistan to victory in the T20 World Cup in England earlier this year. However, he wanted to continue playing test matches and one-day internationals.

Local media reports said Khan had sought guarantees that he will remain as Pakistan's one-day captain through to the 2011 World Cup as a condition for resuming the captaincy.

Khan quit as captain after being called before a parliamentary committee to answer match-fixing allegations arising from the recent Champions Trophy.

"All this captaincy controversy is just creating more confusion in Pakistan cricket," Nawaz said.

"Younis wants to gain people's sympathy by resigning from the captaincy and he is trying to hide his faults which he committed during the Champions Trophy.

"He should realize himself that he does not fit in shorter formats of the game."

Nawaz suggested opening batsman Salman ButtSalman Butt as the new test captain if Younis does not resume the job, while saying Shahid AfridiShahid Afridi _ already captain of the Twenty20 side _ should also be the one-day skipper.

"The PCB should have made Afridi captain for both Twenty20 and ODIs instead of naming separate captains."

Nawaz said Khan should have come back home from the Champions Trophy when he injured a finger, instead of playing on and subsequently struggling for form.

"When he was advised four-weeks rest I fail to understand why the (team) management allowed him to stay with the team."

"When the captain scores at an average of less than 20 how could other team members perform?"

Nawaz wants Afridi appointed to captain Pakistan in next month's series against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates, which includes three one-dayers and two Twenty20 games.

"Khan should be dropped from the team because of his performance in the Champions Trophy," Nawaz said.