LAHORE, Jan 2: While chief selector Abdul Qadir suggested a series-to-series appointment of national skipper on Friday, Shoaib Malik, cautiously expecting an extension in his captaincy tenure, thinks a player should get sufficient time period to prove his leadership capabilities.

“Though it is the job of PCB chairman to name the [national] captain, a series-to-series appointment is the automatic check and balance for the leader,” Qadir said while talking to reporters here on Friday.

While dispelling the thought that it could cause groupings within the team, Qadir believed it was not possible as a strong team management was at the helm.

“At present, all [former] leading cricketers are working with the PCB, keeping a close eye over players, therefore it [groupings] is not possible,” Qadir asserted.

When informed that PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt had also recommended Malik as the captain, Qadir said he would respect the chairman’s opinion, adding he was only giving his views about the tenure of a captain regardless of who was going to be the skipper.

Qadir also suggested that there should be separate leaders for Tests and limited-overs internationals, saying the system could produce specialist captains.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, Malik, who is anxiously waiting for an extension in his term, believed a captain should be given sufficient time to prove his worth.

Malik was first selected to lead Pakistan after the 2007 World Cup. His job was then extended from Jan 1, 2008.

During the period of one-and-a-half years as captain, Malik has faced many challenges on and off the field. After returning from South Africa as runners-up in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in September 2007, Malik’s Pakistan lost the home series at the hands of South Africa followed by defeats in Test and ODI series in India, where the all-rounder could not play in the last two Tests due to an ankle injury, resulting in Younis Khan getting the helm. Last year, though Malik led his side to victory in the tri-nation limited-overs series in Bangladesh in June, his team could not even qualify for the Asia Cup final at home, and then lost the final to Sri Lanka in a low-profile yet recognised Twenty20 tournament in Canada.

With no Test match for them last year, though Pakistan registered five-nil ODI whitewashes at home against no-hopers Bangladesh and Zimbabwe early last year, Malik’s leadership abilities remained a burning issue in sports circles ever since he was given the charge. The 3-0 ODI clean-sweep against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi late last year somehow gave him much-needed boost to claim for extension in his captaincy.

The PCB, sources said, is likely to retain him for the forthcoming series against Sri Lanka and ODIs in Bangladesh as the new PCB management wants to closely watch the captain’s performance, before giving him further extension.

“During the last 18 months as captain I have learnt a lot about life and cricket,” Malik said, adding it would be PCB’s decision whether to retain him as captain.

“Recently, under my captaincy Punjab won the Pentangular Cup one-day tournament while Sialkot Stallions lifted the Twenty20 Cup for the third time,” Malik stated.

Though as Pakistan captain, the board had various complaints about Malik, but his recent achievements in domestic cricket have brightened his chances of keeping the national leadership.

To a question, Malik said due to some trouble with his ankle he was not playing for PIA in the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.

He said he went to Dubai to receive his prize he earned in the Twenty20 tournament in Canada last year.

Meanwhile, commenting on the likely home series against Sri Lanka, Qadir said he had prepared a plan for the contest.

The former Test leg-spinner said though he wanted four teams to play practice matches to pick the national squad, the PCB wanted two.