Pakistan Wednesday appointed opener Salman Butt as vice captain for the upcoming tours of Sri Lanka and England after he lost the Test captaincy to Shahid Afridi. “Butt has been appointed vice captain for the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and for the tour of England,” a Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman said. The 25-year-old will be deputy to Afridi who was last week appointed captain for the two tours. Butt was seen as a top contender for the Test captaincy after Mohammad Yousuf was sacked following Pakistan's dismal tour of Australia in February. Pakistan lost all three Tests, five one-day and a Twenty20 match in Australia. But once Afridi, who has not played a Test since 2006, made himself available for the longer version of the game Butt was pushed to the deputy's spot. Pakistan takes on hosts and defending champion Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh in the Asia Cup from June 15-24 before their tour of England. Pakistan plays two Twenty20 and two Tests against Australia before taking on England in four Tests, five one-day and two Twenty20 matches. Butt was previously vice captain of the team led by Shoaib Malik in 2007. The left-hander has so far played 27 Tests, 76 one-day and 22 Twenty20 games for Pakistan since making his debut in 2003. Pakistan to send team for Asian Games Pakistan will send a team to contest the Twenty20 competition at this year's Asian Games in China to help raise the game's profile in the region, the Pakistan Cricket Board said Wednesday. Cricket will make a bow in the 16th edition of the multi-sports event in Guangzhou with the popular Twenty20 format selected for the Nov. 12-27 games. “We will send a strong team for the games as we feel China has a viable commercial market for the sport,” PCB Director-General, Javed Miandad told Reuters. Pakistan has been at the forefront of supporting the spread of cricket in China with Miandad himself a cricket ambassador to China on behalf of the government. Miandad said that he was hopeful Pakistan would send a strong squad for the Games since Pakistan did not have any international commitments in November. Shahzad eyes England chance Ajmal Shahzad believes he is ready to make his mark for England if he is handed his Test debut against Bangladesh at Old Trafford this week. Shahzad has made just one England appearance to date and that came in a Twenty20 match, but an injury to Tim Bresnan has put the Yorkshire pace bowler in contention to feature in the second Test. Captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower will choose between Shahzad and Ryan Sidebottom ahead of the start of the match Friday and the 24-year-old, who was left out as England won the first Test at Lord's, says he will be ready if called upon. “I hope I can make my debut Friday,” he said. “I have been back at Yorkshire and got a few overs under my belt, 29 of them in fact, and I am looking forward to it. I think I am ready to go if I get the nod and make my debut. I am desperate to be involved and I just want to play cricket.”
