LAHORE - All-rounder Shahid Afridi has been named Pakistan cricket team captain for the next month's Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka. "Chairman PCB Ijaz Butt appointed Afridi as captain for the Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka," the PCB said in a statement on Wednesday. Reports suggested that the chairman ignored the recommendation of interim selection committee chief Wasim Bari's decision of making Misbah-ul-Haq captain of the T20 team to end controversy in the team. Misbah's being named captain was almost but, as insiders say, the chairman decided to replace Younis Khan with Afridi as captain instead. Reports say he was made captain till the next World T20 Championship to be held at the West Indies. Younis Khan retired from 20-over game after leading Pakistan to win the Twenty20 World Cup in England last month. Pakistan will play the T20 match against Sri Lanka on August 12 and that will also terminate the series. Afridi said that PCB chairman has assured him that he would stay as Pakistan's Twenty20 captain till the next year's World Twenty20 in the West Indies.Afridi, 29, said captaincy is unlikely to affect his performance."I don't think my performance will be affected by this honour," he said. "My focus will remain on giving my best for the team and hopefully I will carry on from where I left in the Twenty20 World Cup."Afridi, 29, was instrumental in Pakistan's success in England, hitting an unbeaten 54 off 52 balls his side's final against Sri Lanka. He has played in 23 Twenty20 internationals, scoring 371 runs at an average of 19.52. , as well as claiming 33 dismissals at an impressive average of 15.57. Pakistan will play Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 match on August 12 after a five-match ODI series. KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan on Wednesday appointed Shahid Afridi captain for its Twenty20 against Sri Lanka after Younus Khan held firm to his decision to retire from the shortest form of the game. The 29-year-old Afridi, a dashing all-rounder, has never led Pakistan at international level and was chosen ahead of vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq. National skipper Younus announced his retirement from Twenty20 cricket after leading Pakistan to the World Twenty20 title in England last month. He refused to relent when approached to change his mind by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt. "The PCB chairman appointed Afridi captain of the Pakistan team only for the T20 match against Sri Lanka on August 12," the PCB said in a statement. Pakistan, who lost a three-Test series against Sri Lanka last week, meet the hosts again in the first of five one-day matches in Dambulla on Thursday. The T20 match will follow the one-day series. Afridi has played 26 Tests, 273 one-day internationals and has appeared in all 23 Twenty20 matches Pakistan has played so far. He was the player of the tournament in the inaugural World Twenty20 held in South Africa in 2007. He also won man-of-the-match awards in the semi-final and final of last month's World Twenty20 and was instrumental in Pakistan clinching the title.Afridi last week said he would love to lead Pakistan. "Younus is a great captain but if he doesn't want to carry on in the T20 format, I would love to lead Pakistan because captaining your country is a great honour and I want to do this before I retire," he said.