Malik to stay as skipper

Shoaib Malik has been confirmed as captain for the ODI series © Getty Images

Shoaib Malik will retain the Pakistan captaincy for a one-day series against West Indies in Abu Dhabi next month.

Several former players, including ex-skippers Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Rameez Raja, have severely criticised Malik's style of leadership while poor results have not helped his cause.

Pakistan were defeated in a four-nation Twenty20 competition last week in Toronto, the latest in a string of disappointments that included failure in the Asia Cup.

New Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt, however, insisted Malik would remain in charge of the side until his term ends in December.

"Malik's performance will be reviewed when it is time in December," Butt said.

"We are more concerned about the team's performance and that has to improve.

"In the last 12 months, the board has distributed around Rs25 million ($302,663 USD) as bonuses to the players but I don't think they have deserved it."

Pakistan are scheduled to play three one-day internationals against the West Indies from November 12 to 16 in Abu Dhabi.

The two boards are also in talks to play a two-match Test series at the same venue.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court has postponed a hearing into the Pakistan Cricket Board's petition demanding bowler Shoaib Akhtar pay a fine by October 24.

Akhtar was slapped with a career-threatening five-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board on disciplinary grounds but that sentence was reduced to 18 months on appeal.

In addition, the tribunal also imposed a fine of seven million rupees (84,745 USDollars) on the 33-year-old paceman.

Akhtar had the ban temporarily suspended by the Lahore High Court but no decision was made regarding the fine.

The PCB have insisted that Akhtar pay the fine in order to be available for selection although they had controversially included him the Twenty20 team for the Toronto tournament earlier this week.

"The judge was not available and the new date is set for October 24," said PCB lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi.