ISLAMABAD: Shahid Afridi has been dropped as Pakistan captain and replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq for the One-Day Internationals against Ireland later this month. The move comes after Afridi criticized team management on his return home from the 3-2 series win over the West Indies, but the Pakistan Cricket Board did not elaborate on the reason for his demotion. The board spokesman Nadeem Sarwar told the Associated Press Thursday it is the “policy of the board to appoint a captain on a series to series basis.” Afridi led Pakistan to the semifinals of the World Cup but after returning from the West Indies, he told reporters he was unhappy with interference in team affairs by unnamed members of the management. The PCB said Afridi had violated its code of conduct and appropriate action would be taken. Afridi became Pakistan's fourth ODI captain in less than two years after Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf when he led the team in the Asia Cup last year. Afridi and Khan both were named in the 16-member squad to play the two ODIs against Ireland on May 28 and May 30 in Belfast. Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan, Taufeeq Umar, M. Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Shahid Afridi, M. Salman, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Tanvir Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Hammad Azam. Lanka could host Pak series The Pakistan Cricket Board is considering Sri Lanka as host for its home series against England next year. Pakistan has not hosted an international team since gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka team bus at Lahore in 2009, killing six police officials and a van driver. Spokesman Nadeem Sarwar says the PCB has received a feasibility report from Sri Lanka Cricket and it is now waiting for a response from the United Arab Emirates, which is also under consideration. Abbottabad ODI off Pakistan cricket authorities Thursday pulled a one-day match against Afghanistan which had been scheduled to take place in the town where US forces shot dead Osama Bin Laden. The match, the third in a series between Afghanistan and Pakistan's second team, attracted media attention for being hosted in Abbottabad, where US Navy SEALs killed the world's most-wanted man on May 2. The fixture has been relocated to Islamabad. Afghanistan, the first international team to tour Pakistan in more than two years after militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in March 2009, will now play matches in Islamabad on May 25, Rawalpindi on May 27 and Faisalabad on May 29.
