Islamabad, Dec. 22: Pakistan cricket coach Intikhab Alam has backed Shoaib Malik as captain of the squad and suggested that he should continue as captain of the side.

Alam said that under the captaincy of Malik the team has shown enough improvement and Malik himself has matured enough.

"He should continue as the captain of the team and has improved tremendously as a captain over the years. With the experience he has gained over the years, he is now a much improved captain," The News quoted Alam, as saying.

He predicted with a bit of more experience Malik could prove as one of the best captains, Pakistan has ever produced.

"He (Malik) is positive and he is focused and what he needed earlier was confidence and believe in himself. He has shown that character during the 3-0 whitewash of West Indies in Abu Dhabi and now looks set to response even better in team's engagements to come," Alam said.

Malik's tenure as a captain is expiring on December 31, 2008 and sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have confirmed that he will continue to lead the national side. (ANI)