SHORT CORNER

Former Afghanistan cricket captain Asghar Afghan has been brought back to replace Rashid Khan and lead the team in all formats, the country’s cricket board (ACB) said on Wednesday.

“As per the decision by ACB top management, senior player Asghar Afghan is reappointed as team Afghanistan’s captain across formats,” ACB said on its official Twitter account.

Leg-spinner Rashid, 21, was named captain for all formats with Afghan as his deputy in July after a dismal run at the 50-over World Cup in England.

Afghan, 31, was reinstated at the helm with Rashid demoted to vice-captain. -- Reuters

Dar set to break record

as a Test umpire

Aleem Dar is set to break Steve Bucknor’s record of most Tests as an umpire in the first match of the series between Australia and New Zealand, which starts in Perth on Thursday.

The 51-year-old, who took up umpiring after playing first-class cricket in Pakistan, is standing in his 129th Test match as an on-field umpire.

He stood in his first Test in Dhaka in 2003 during England’s tour of Bangladesh.

“This is one milestone I had never thought of when I began my umpiring career. It is a truly amazing feeling and a high point of my life when I take the field here in Australia,” Dar said. -- Afp

Dhawan out of WI ODIs

Opener Mayank Agawal will replace Shikhar Dhawan in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against the West Indies as the latter is yet to recover from his knee injury, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Wednesday.

Dhawan suffered a deep cut on his left knee during a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Maharashtra in Surat and was subsequently ruled out of the ongoing T20 series against the Windies.

--- Pallab Bhattacharya