Pakistan appointed wicketkeeper Rashid Latif as captain and Javed Miandad as coach on Wednesday to rebuild the team after their disappointing World Cup campaign in South Africa.

The Pakistan Cricket Board ditched captain Waqar Younis, appointed former Test player Haroon Rasheed as team manager and named new selectors, board spokesman Samiul Hasan said.

Middle-order batsman Yousuf Youhanna will be Latif's deputy

The changes end days of speculation that the board would reshape the team management and selection committee to make a fresh start after Pakistan failed to qualify for the Super Sixes.

"They are all experienced people in Pakistan cricket and know what is expected of them," Hasan said. "The Board is hopeful this combination will work well."

Latif, 34, will lead a new Pakistan team into next month's Sharjah Cup against Sri Lanka and South Africa.

"I have accepted the responsibility of leading the team at this critical stage as I want to play a key role in the revival of the senior team," Latif told Reuters.

"It is a big honour for me and I will work closely with the new selection committee and team management to bring positive results for Pakistan."

This is the second time Latif has been captain. In 1998, he led Pakistan to Bangladesh, South Africa and Zimbabwe before being removed by the Board.

In November, he announced his retirement from Test cricket and indicated he would retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup.

"I have decided against retiring now because this is a critical period for the team," he said. "And I believe I can still play a vital role in the rebuilding process."

Latif, who has played 34 Tests and 149 one-dayers since his debut in 1992, was one of the few successes for Pakistan in the World Cup with his neat keeping and useful batting.

The team for Sharjah is due to be announced by Friday and several new and young faces are expected in the side for the triangular tournament.

Former captain Miandad was coach twice between 1998 and 2001 before being forced to step down because of differences with senior players.

Miandad, 45, remains Pakistan's highest Test run maker and is a revered figure in Pakistan cricket.

Another former captain and opener, Aamer Sohail, will head the new selection committee of former Test players Saleem Yousaf, Shoaib Muhammad, Farukh Zaman and Shafiq Ahmed.

Ahmed is the only member kept from the outgoing committee.