Malik not worried about captaincy future

Shoaib Malik has said he is not weighed down by thoughts about the future of his captaincy, a decision on which will be taken by the Pakistan board in the next two weeks.

Malik chose to instead focus on his performance within the team. "For me the more important thing than captaincy is how I perform for my team as one of its members," Malik said after leading Punjab Stallions to a win against the NWFP Panthers in the Pentangular one-day tournament in Karachi.

Malik was appointed captain following Pakistan's first-round exit from the World Cup in 2007. He led them to the final of the Twenty20 World Cup in September that year but that was followed by Test series defeats against South Africa and India. His next major win came at the Kitply Cup in June this year, in the face of immense pressure to hold him accountable for Pakistan's string of failures. But Pakistan didn't make the Asia Cup that followed at home.

Malik's stint as captain also coincided with security concerns in Pakistan which forced the ICC to postpone the Champions Trophy, prompted Australia to push their tour to the to 2009 and put India's tour in January next year in doubt; Pakistan did not play any Tests in 2008. Malik hoped 2009 would be a better year.

"We have Australia coming here and then several tours and the Champions Trophy at home. I'm confident that the team will do well in 2009."