Are Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan captaincy material? © AFP

International cricket captains come in many varieties. Many are born leaders, others are quiet and calculating. They may be aggressive or defensive. Some exude calm, while others are frenetic. A lucky few are first among equals, but the unlucky ones are the last viable option.

These men of contrasting personalities, intellects, and motivational powers, do generally have one aspect in common: their place in the team is unquestioned. A rare captain has the wisdom to be an inspiring leader without matching the cricketing skills of his men. Mike Brearley is the most obvious example.

Now Shoaib Malik is no Mike Brearley, which would be his only ticket out of this mess. The agony and the misery of his captaincy term needs to be put to an end. Pakistan cricket needs to be forged anew with strong leadership. It will be a rocky road to a stable, consistently successful team. At the very least, Pakistan's play requires great heart and consummate passion. It may be time for everybody to draw a line under the past and give Younis Khan the job he has already twice rejected. If Younis doesn't want all the responsibility, the PCB could indulge Shahid Afridi's captaincy dreams in cricket's shortest form. Unconventional times require unpredictable solutions.

	It can only be a matter of time before Shoaib Malik's captaincy is exposed again and he loses his job © AFP

Barack Obama may steal the headlines around the world tomorrow but in Pakistan he will have to share them with cricket. With the dearth of internationals in 2008, the series against Sri Lanka has the feel of a new beginning.

The players are much the same but Pakistan cricket is now run by ex-cricketers who have a genuine passion for quality and success. They want change and believe that they can make it happen. Messrs Miandad, Qadir, and Sohail should - and probably do - realise that if they fail Pakistan cricket may never recover. To me, this new beginning carries the threat of a last chance.

Shoaib Malik's team go into another series with familiar question marks over the consistency and quality of the batsmen, and howling criticisms over Malik's captaincy. But the word from the Pakistan camp is that the spirit amongst the administration is good and the big egos are aligned.

Sri Lanka, the saviours of Pakistan cricket's fixtures and finances, will be less generous in battle. The duel threat of efficiency and mystery will sorely test Pakistan's patience. Reports about the state of Karachi's pitch give Sri Lanka more confidence than Pakistan, whose rustiness should mean that a series triumph will be a genuine surprise for Malik and his men.

Yet the public expectation and attention will be such that any failure is likely to be judged harshly. My own view is that the selectors made a fundamental mistake in not taking this opportunity to replace Malik. It can only be a matter of time before his captaincy is exposed again and he loses his job. A new beginning, with so much hanging on it, deserved the right leadership on the field.

Nonetheless, this is a time for a minor celebration. Cricket is back in Pakistan, the ex-players in the cricket board are determined to succeed, and the right players might get selected. Now cricketers, administrators, security forces, politicians, and fans have to show the world that Pakistan can be a vibrant and essential venue for international cricket.

	Nineteen-year-old Umar Amin may be at the beginning of an uncertain journey, but unknown young players bring a special fascination. © Sohail Abbas

This week's England controversy was an amusing one for Pakistan fans. I'm unconvinced by the argument that Kevin Pietersen had to go because his views were leaked by the media, especially as he does seem to have had the support of much of the England team. Imagine Pakistan players being sacked, forced to resign, or disciplined each time their views were leaked to the media? There wouldn't be a player left to select.

Nonetheless, the ECB managed to perform a decent impression of the PCB by turning a containable scandal into a gargantuan crisis, unsettling the team, and losing a promising captain.

Meanwhile the new PCB has made an effort to bring back the old days, good and bad. The bad is reverting to some really old timers, like Intikhab Alam and Yawar Saeed. Indeed, the nonsensical media ban--a virtual impossibility in our media-driven age--has all the hallmarks of a Yawar Saeed strategy. Furthermore, how Intikhab negotiates the fierce opinions of Javed Miandad, Abdul Qadir, and Aamir Sohail must be a wonder to behold.

The good is that the selectors are backing pace again. Pakistan cricket's success in the 1980s and 1990s was based on the abilities of its fast bowlers, ably supported by an attacking spinner. The batting has ever been unreliable, but the bowlers were capable of making most totals competitive. Pace bowlers also force a captain to attack, which is the preferable mode for the Pakistan team.

Umar Amin's selection is another throwback. One of the thrills of Pakistan cricket was that a talented rookie would be selected from obscurity. Let's hope Amin can revive a tradition that has been lost in this decade. He may be at the beginning of an uncertain journey, but unknown players bring a special fascination.

If nothing else, Pakistan's adminstrators, cricketers, and fans will have been relieved that another cricket nation has played out a pointless drama of Pakistani proportions. For one week, at least, England are the new Pakistan.