Shahid Afridi with Javed Miandad at the Gaddafi, on Tuesday. (AFP)

Lahore: All-rounder Shahid Afridi will lead Pakistan in next month’s Asia Cup and the subsequent full tour of England, opting for a single captain for all three formats of the game.

“Afridi will lead Pakistan in one-day and Test cricket and is our best choice,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ejaz Butt told reporters Tuesday.

Former captains Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik were also included in a 35-man list of probables, which will be culled down before the two events, pending a decision on the bans imposed on them by the PCB. Controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was also included among the probables.

The 30-year-old Afridi, who led Pakistan to the semi-finals in the World Twenty20 earlier this month, now becomes the 27th man to lead Pakistan in Test cricket.

“It is a great challenge to lead the team in all forms of the game. I will try to do my best, play as a unit and build towards winning the World Cup,” said Afridi, who last played a Test match in mid 2006.

With Afridi’s appointment, Pakistan’s leadership crisis, which began during last November’s New Zealand tour, has finally come to an end.

Sources confirmed that Afridi along with team manager Yawar Saeed 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 Monday’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 and Shoaib Malik back in the team. He said he was fine with their presence in the Test side,” the source added.

“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.

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.

Pakistan will play in the four-nation Asia Cup in Sri Lanka from June 15-25 and then head for the tour of England.

The 15-man squad for the Asia Cup will be announced early next month after a short training camp in Karachi. The squad for England will be decided after that. (Agencies)