Under-fire Malek confident of keeping the captaincy

Karachi: With speculations rife that he might be sacked as captain, Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malek on Tuesday hit out at criticism of the team's poor performance under him.

Malek used the example of last year's World Twenty20 tournament when Pakistan reached the final as defence for his captaincy.

"We did well in that [World Twenty20] tournament and remember Pakistan also won 12 consecutive one-dayers with me as captain earlier this year," Malek said yesterday.

His captaincy is under threat following the exit of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf. The vacant post of PCB chief is likely to be filled in a week or so and it is anticipated that sweeping changes could be made in the cricket set-up.

Malek though is confident of remaining captain and said that all the speculation about his sacking would slowly die down in the coming days.

"I did not tell anybody to make me captain, he said.

"I was chosen to lead Pakistan and I have been doing the job in the best possible manner," the all-rounder added.

Malek was preferred over senior players to lead Pakistan after their humiliating first round exit from the 2007 World Cup.

Ashraf handed the captaincy reins to Malek from Inzamam-ul-Haq, who resigned after the World Cup debacle in the Caribbean.

Ashraf resigned as PCB chairman last month, just hours after Pervez Musharraf stepped down as president. Reports in recent days have suggested that vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq is expected to take over the captain's role, although senior players Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi are also in the frame.