Shahid Afridi to lead in Asia Cup and England tour

	Shahid Afridi's decision to play Tests comes as a shot in the arm for a side seriously lacking in experience

Shahid Afridi has been named Pakistan's Test and ODI captain ahead of a busy summer which takes in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and then six Tests, five ODIs, as well as four T20Is, in England against Australia and the hosts. Pakistan's board and selectors also opened the door on a possible return for Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik, two men only recently banned by the board for indiscipline. Another old hand at the indiscipline game, Shoaib Akhtar, has been called up in a 35-man list of probables, which will be culled down before the two events.

The squad announcements were among the most eagerly-awaited in some time, given the chaos that followed since the tour to Australia. Pakistan effectively have been without a Test and ODI captain since then and had punished seven leading players - including four former captains - over disciplinary issues. But in recent days, speculation had grown that Afridi, already the Twenty20 captain, would be appointed.

Once he had publicly announced that he would be available to play Tests, a format he had left four years ago, the decision was all but sealed to once again unite the leadership of all three formats under one man: "We requested Afridi to take on the Test captaincy and he very graciously accepted," Ijaz Butt, chairman PCB, told reporters, flanked by Afridi and Mohsin Khan, chief selector. Today Afridi spent in meetings with Butt and the selectors to finalise a probables list.

Afridi now becomes the 27th man to lead Pakistan in Tests and the fourth captain since the start of 2009.The decision remains a risky one, given that Afridi played the last of his 26 Tests almost exactly four years ago on Pakistan's last tour to England. Until recently he has appeared unsure about a return to the format, but it is believed the appointment was part of an agreement to become the Twenty20 captain before the World Twenty20.

Afridi asked for patience in what he accepted will be a challenging role. "As a challenge I have accepted this," Afridi said. "Pakistan needs a senior player right now to lead them and that is why I accepted this. I don't think we should have too many expectations for Test cricket right now but I will try to get our ranking up to where it should be."

The other big decisions were recalling the two former captains Younis and Malik back into the squad. Their return is dependent on their appeals against the ban being overturned by an independent arbitrator, but having been selected it seems unlikely their bans will now stay. In any case the PCB has thawed in recent days, Butt telling reporters yesterday that he will review the punishments and praising Younis in particular. Younis was handed an indefinite ban by an inquiry committee after the Australia tour earlier this year and Malik was given a one-year ban; neither's indiscretions were specified, only a vague reference made to acts of indiscipline and unsettling the team.

But their potential return and that of Shoaib [Akhtar] was insisted upon by Afridi, who said the summer would require experienced heads at the helm. Shoaib last played an international for Pakistan in May 2009 and his last Test back in December 2007, but has this season turned out in domestic cricket in a bid to prove his fitness; he was particularly impressive in the Pentangular ODI cup in Karachi recently.

"It will be good if we can get back Younis and Shoaib because the team will be stronger with them in it," Afridi said. "England is always a difficult challenge as a tour and you need experienced players on it. The mix has to be right between juniors and seniors."

Afridi revealed that he had also spoken to Mohammad Yousuf in a bid to get him to take back his retirement and return to international cricket. Yousuf had walked away from the game earlier this year after also being handed an indefinite ban by the board and he is the only one of the seven players punished not to have appealed against his punishment. But Afridi said Yousuf was unwilling to change his mind.

Misbah-ul-Haq has been dropped once again, following disappointing results on his recall for the tours to New Zealand and Australia. Though he was picked for the World Twenty20 also, he didn't make any significant contribution towards Pakistan's semi-final run. The bigger surprise is perhaps the retention of Kamran Akmal; though he did well enough in the Caribbean with the bat, he remains as a result of this probables announcement, the likely first-choice wicketkeeper for the Test side. That is some achievement in itself given his performance in the last Test he played at Sydney (where he dropped four catches and fluffed a run-out), his behaviour in the aftermath of his subsequent axing and his generally shaky form with the gloves in Tests for a number of seasons now.

The 15-man squad for the Asia Cup will be decided in the first week of June after a short, five to six-day training camp in Karachi. The squad for England will be decided soon after that.

Probables: Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Khurram Manzoor, Shahzaib Hassan, Azhar Ali, Azeem Ghumman, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Hasan Raza, Asad Shafiq, Umar Amin, Aamer Sajjad, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi (capt), Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Tanvir Ahmed, Aizaz Cheema, Danish Kaneria, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Kamran Akmal (wk), Zulqarnain Haider (wk)

Brawn: We are making progress

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Having failed to deliver the results he in Monaco, Ross Brawn is confident the team will be back on the track in Turkey.

Mercedes GP endured an exasperating weekend in Monaco, with Nico Rosberg failing to qualify as high as the team felt he could have and as a result failing to compete for a podium finish, while Michael Schumacher was dealt a 20-second penalty for his illegal passing manoeuvre on Fernando Alonso.

While admitting that Monaco had provided some testing times, Brawn has been buoyed by the progress the team has made during the initial stages of the European season.

"Monaco was a frustrating race for the team where we did not achieve our potential," said the team principal.

"We had a competitive and reliable car which proved to be the quickest in the race at various stages, we performed two excellent pitstops, one of which was the quickest of the race, but ultimately we did not deliver the results that we would have hoped for.

"However, I am encouraged that we have made progress over the last two races and that we have identified our areas of weakness which we are working hard to rectify."

Mercedes head to Turkey with another upgrade package, leaving Brawn to believe that the team could be competitive at Istanbul Park and beyond.

"We have some major and very challenging upgrades for the next few races which have been made possible by the commitment and hard work of everyone at the factory over the past weeks.

"In Turkey, we will return to our previous suspension system and longer wheelbase car, we have the latest iteration of our 'F-duct' rear wing plus further aerodynamic developments.

"It's a long road ahead to achieve the level of competitiveness that we are aiming for but each race is a step along the way and I am confident that we will get there," he added.

Button: We must stem Red Bull charge

enson Button is hoping Red Bull Racing prove fallible or they could prove unstoppable in their charge for Formula One glory.

Reigning world champion Button relinquished the lead of this year's world title race to Red Bull's Mark Webber following his Monaco Grand Prix victory on Sunday, the Australian's second successive triumph in the space of eight days.

It was a race in which Button suffered his first failure with McLaren this season as the 30-year-old retired after two laps following a mistake that should have been avoided.

That was when one member of the team left a cooling cover on a sidepod over the radiator, resulting in the engine overheating.

Coming the week after Hamilton crashed on the penultimate lap in Barcelona with a wheel-rim failure, the last two races have hardly cast McLaren in the best light.

Button, who now trails Webber by eight points in the standings, knows the situation has to improve, and believes it will, starting in Turkey in 10 days' time.

"This team have the resources, the manpower and the passion to succeed and to chase, and this is what they will do," Button told Press Association Sport at a promotional event for Vodafone's World of Difference campaign.

"Last year was a difficult season for this team, but they still won two races, and where they came from at the start of the year to where they ended up was extraordinary.

"So we're hoping we're going to see big improvements over the next few races.

"We've had a couple of issues in the last two races with reliability and mistakes, but we have to put those behind us now and focus on the next race in Turkey.

"We've got to come with a stronger car, and we can't make any mistakes."

McLaren have to show the kind of improvement as displayed by Red Bull in the last two races after problems dogged them in three of the first four grands prix when they should have won them all after starting from pole.

If not, then Button knows not just McLaren will have trouble trying to close the gap.

"They are going to be so hard to catch," added Button.

"It's a big lead they had in Barcelona, especially with a second in qualifying, but no-one is going to give up chasing them, especially not our team. We're going to do everything we can."

Otherwise it is a case of keeping fingers crossed they again suffer reliability issues.

"I hope they do fall by the wayside," said Button.

"As we saw at the start of the year, they didn't have the perfect start to the season, and hopefully we're going to see them make some more mistakes.

"That's what we need at this point in the season. We need to have the best race we possibly can and get the maximum out of our package, and hopefully they don't."

Hamilton: Time to end "terrible run"

Lewis Hamilton is burning with desire to step back onto the top step of the podium and help McLaren achieve "greatness" again.

Hamilton has so far endured a rollercoaster season that has resulted in frustration with the team's decision-making in Australia and Malaysia, a brush with the law Down Under, and a penultimate lap smash in Spain following a wheel-rim failure.

Despite claiming this season he is driving the best car McLaren have built for him, even better than his 2008 title-winner, victory continues to elude the far-from-happy 25-year-old.

For a driver so accustomed to taking the chequered flag in his first two seasons in Formula One, the last 18 months have been virtually barren by his high standards, as he has triumphed just twice in his last 24 grands prix.

It is a statistic that catches Hamilton by surprise when it is mentioned to him at McLaren's state-of-the-art Technology Centre in Woking at a promotional event for Vodafone's World of Difference programme, of which he is an ambassador.

"That's not good. That sounds terrible," said Hamilton.

"There were 17 races last year, the majority of which were pretty poor because generally we had a bad car.

"This year I've been unfortunate, but this is racing. Lots of drivers go years and years without having a win or being on the podium.

"So I'm just grateful I've had some wins, and I know I'm in the early stages of my career, so hopefully I have many more to come."

Victory in Turkey in 11 days' time would certainly go some way to easing the unhappiness he is currently feeling as he readily concedes the first part of the season has been up and down.

"In terms of results it's not been a very good season for me so far. I'm not particularly happy with the results I've had, but it's been a learning experience," added Hamilton.

"I've had some great races, and it's great to know the car is competitive, as fast as some of the other guys.

"We at least have a good base to work from, and with 13 races left, there are plenty to win, and lots more points available.

"Apart from once in Spain, I've at least consistently scored points, which is a benefit. Even if you have a bad weekend and you only get one point, it could really help at the end of the year."

But it is the taste of victory again that matters most to Hamilton. He is aware the wait has been too long for a driver of his talent, and given the team behind him - one he knows is not living up to its status at present but which Hamilton remains confident will do.

"The desire to win is burning inside," insisted Hamilton.

"It's there the whole of the way through the season, even if you do have a win because you get that taste and you want to keep on getting it, so it's constantly burning.

"As a team we are also putting ourselves under extreme pressure, and we will continue to do so because that is how you achieve greatness. At least that's how I feel.

"I do feel we will get there. I reckon it's going to take a couple of races and then we will be back up there, back at the front."

Team-mate Jenson Button has at least savoured success in his debut campaign with McLaren this year, although he experienced heartbreak in Monaco on Sunday when he retired after two laps due to a simple mistake made by one member of the team.

That was when a cooling cover was left on a sidepod that covers the radiator, resulting in the engine overheating.

After Hamilton's unreliability in Barcelona, the team have let themselves down over the past two weekends, something Button is looking to be corrected in Turkey next week.

"I was happy before the last two races which were frustrating, especially Monaco with the problem I had," said Button.

"But to be leading into Monaco after five races with the team was not too bad, although I'm obviously not leading now.

"However, it's a lot easier to chase. It's a more difficult position when you're out in front because you're always looking behind to see where the others are coming from.

"But we're still in a good position, and we have a strong team here. Although we've had a couple of issues in the last two races, we have to put those behind us now and focus on the next one in Turkey.

"We've got to come with a stronger car, and we can't make any mistakes."

MotoGP: Lorenzo wins in Le Mans

Jorge Lorenzo beat Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi to victory at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France.

Lorenzo claimed his second win of the season in the third round at Le Mans and now lies nine points clear of Rossi atop the leaderboard.

Rossi, who began the race on pole, was second and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) was third.

The Spaniard's success made it three out of three for Yamaha this season.

Pole-sitter Rossi led into the first corner ahead of Dani Pedrosa and Lorenzo.

Casey Stoner ran off on the second lap, leading to the Australian's second non-finish of the season.

Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) were also forced to retire prematurely.

Up front Lorenzo took the lead ahead of Rossi on lap seven, only to relinquish it soon after.

However, he went in front again on lap 10 and held on for victory.

In an intriguing battle for the final podium place, Dovizioso passed Pedrosa on the final lap and the Spaniard was later overtaken by Nicky Hayden to finish in fifth.

Lorenzo was thrilled after capitalising on Rossi's minor blip.

"If this had happened to me three or four years ago, maybe I would have done some crazy thing," the 23-year-old said on www.autosport.com.

"I now feel much more confident, now I can be more calm and ride better. Today was good for that.

"I was patient, I understood that Valentino would brake so late, so I waited for one mistake from him.

"He doesn't do many mistakes, so I just waited, and tried to exit the corners as close to him as possible.

"When I made it, it was easier than I expected."

Rossi is surprised Lorenzo, rather than Stoner, is his closest title rival.

"Nine points is better to have as an advantage than a disadvantage, but the championship is so long," said Rossi.

"What I didn't expect is to be fighting just with Jorge. After the winter I'd expect Stoner - maybe also Dani, but especially Stoner - to be closer.

"Sometimes, on some races and some days, you don't have enough speed to try to win.

"In the past with different bikes and different tyres, it was possible to invent something during the race.

"Now if you don't have the pace, you just crash, so these 20 points are not bad."

Webber coy over Red Bull future

Championship leader Mark Webber has refused to end speculation about his Red Bull future, saying "things change very fast".

Webber's contract ends at the end of this season and although he is in the form of his life, there are plenty of rumours that Red Bull could replace him with Kimi Raikkonen next year.

Team boss Christian Horner says everyone is "relaxed" over the contract negotiations, but insists nothing has been discussed yet.

"The team and Mark are very relaxed about the situation," said Horner.

"He is an important member of the team and he is driving fantastically well at the moment. He enjoys driving here, and we enjoy having him.

"But we have not spoken and have no real interest in speaking with any of our drivers so, when the time gets to it, we will sit down and look at the paperwork."

Webber, who is coming off back-to-back pole positions and race victories in Spain and Monaco, refused to nip any rumours in the bud.

"I've just won two races, back-to-back, and people are asking me where I'm going to drive next year," he told The Mail on Sunday.

"I'm very close to the guys at Red Bull, we've been through a lot and I have a great relationship with them. Yet things happen and change very fast in this business and you never know what's around the corner.

"At the moment, I'm only thinking about the next race, in Turkey next weekend. The rest will take care of itself. There are hundreds of points up for grabs and I'm concentrating on the job in hand.

"I imagine the picture will be clearer in another six weeks or so. But what matters most is I still have a great desire driving me."

Afridi to lead Pak in all formats

Pakistan's Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi is all set to take over the reins of the ODI and Test side as well for the upcoming Asia Cup and the tour of England.

Although the Board was yet to make a formal announcement in this regard, sources confirmed that Afridi along with team manager Yawar Saeed on Tuesday met Butt in his office to discuss the future tours where the flamboyant all-rounder was offered the captaincy for all three formats of the game.

"The meeting also discussed the scenario in view of yesterday's meeting of the National Assembly standing committee on sports which recommended that the bans and fines on players be removed," a source said.

"Afridi was asked by the chairman whether he had any problems accepting Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik back in the team and he said no he was fine with their presence in the Test side," the source added.

This is the first time that Afridi will lead Pakistan in Tests and the all-rounder himself has not played any since mid 2006 in England.

"Yawar's presence indicates how influential a role he is wielding these days in the cricket affairs because he was the one who convinced Afridi to make himself available for the Tests as well," another source said.

After their meeting, Afridi and Butt went into a discussion with the national selection committee at the Gaddafi stadium for the finalisation of the names of 30 probables for the Asia Cup and England tour.

Former captain, Younis Khan, who on Tuesday left for England to play for county Surrey until mid-July, is expected to be named in the probables for the England tour. Fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar is also expected to be recalled in the short list of players.

Pakistan, after playing in the Asia Cup in June, will leave for England to play two-Test series against Australia and then a four-Test series against England.

They will also feature in four T20 internationals and five one-dayers on the tour. Afridi recently led Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies where they lost to Australia in the semifinals.