We were worried Inzamam’s retirement would leave a gap in the middle-order. In fact, the real gap that is now worrying everyone is in the captaincy. Misbahul Haq’s defiant strokeplay may have averted a middle-order crisis but, after an unrelenting run of defeats and near-defeats, the crisis of captaincy has erupted full blast.

Following the World Cup in March, when Inzamam resigned the captaincy, three names had emerged as front-runners to replace him — Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf. Malik’s eventual appointment came as something of a surprise. He wasn’t the first choice, and had been approached only after Younis Khan declined. Nor was he a popular choice, since his own position in the side was shaky. Yet once the announcement was made, it was hailed as an inspired move. Both Bob Woolmer and Javed Miandad, Malik’s last two coaches, had privately commended his tactical shrewdness. He had also proved a clever leader in the ABN-AMRO Twenty20 Cup.

The honeymoon is now over. Malik has led Pakistan to Test and ODI series defeats against South Africa and India. It was an especially painful loss in India, where Pakistan had not been defeated in 28 years. Malik did win an ODI rubber against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi, and took Pakistan to the final of the Twenty20 World Championship, but he has not looked a comfortable leader. His tactics have been predictable, the body language edgy, and the temperament brittle and nervous, making it difficult for him to regroup after the team has come in for some stick.

Malik’s performance with bat and ball has also dropped with captaincy. Although his ODI batting average has held up, his Test batting average has dipped to 27.00 (from 35.86), his ODI bowling average has jumped to 49.60 (from 35.15), and he has yet to take a wicket in three Tests as captain.

The cricket grapevine is also abuzz with off-the-field reports that Malik has tried to consolidate a power bloc with management that is proving divisive, public denials notwithstanding. Sources close to the selection committee say that Malik has even been reluctant to play Shahid Afridi, a superior all-rounder who outperforms Malik and whose absence hurt Pakistan in the Tests against India.

Malik’s unreasonable interference persisted even after he was sidelined with injury. Before the 3rd Test against India, Younis Khan — the stand-in captain — and the team management had reportedly asked for medium-pacer Abdur Rauf who has impressed in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, to be sent in as a replacement. On Malik’s trenchant insistence, Rao Iftikhar was flown in instead. It became a public embarrassment because the media received conflicting statements from team management. In the end Younis was adamant too, and Iftikhar sat out the match. The net result was that Pakistan fielded a weaker bowling side at Bangalore than they could have.

Despite these drawbacks, the Pakistan Cricket Board has reposed faith in Shoaib Malik’s leadership through the end of 2008. Pakistan’s captaincy, however, is a notoriously uneasy crown and it is hard to imagine Malik surviving another series loss. The next major assignment is a daunting home series with Australia, against whom we haven’t won a Test in 12 years. Malik might avoid captaining that series if his injury recurs, but by then he will have exhausted everyone’s patience. Either way, it will be checkmate for his captaincy.

On the surface, Mailk’s succession seems a two-way tie between Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf. Younis is an able captain but he keeps turning down the job because he wants an empowered captaincy. This may have worked for the likes of Imran Khan and Abdul Hafeez Kardar, but in Pakistan cricket’s present-day reality, this is an impossible ask. Mohammad Yousuf, meanwhile, is being increasingly recognised as the person who covets the captaincy the most. Oddly, given our perverted psychology of give-and-take, this fact is also being viewed as his disqualification. Misbahul Haq’s name has also been mentioned — he has cemented the no.5 spot and has an MBA to boot — but he has yet to properly earn his stripes within the team.

As a way out of the crisis, some analysts and experts have begun advocating Shahid Afridi for captain. Qamar Ahmed, one of Pakistan’s most seasoned cricket journalists, argues that Afridi has over a decade of experience in international cricket, is an automatic selection in both the Test and ODI sides, and is a feared opponent in all corners of the cricket world. He is a responsible bowler and committed fielder, and even though he plays irresponsible shots while batting, the extra pressure of captaincy might be just the thing to elevate his game.

Ever since last year’s tour of England, Pakistan has been weathering storm after storm, including the Oval forfeit, the doping scandal, the disastrous World Cup exit, the controversial death of Bob Woolmer, and the departure of an ace of spades like Inzamamul Haq. Afridi’s bold and daring temperament could be just what Pakistan cricket needs as it struggles to recover its rhythm in the wake of these headshaking jolts.