Two weeks after Shoaib Malik was sacked as Pakistan captain, a report by the coach and manager has said Malik was "a loner and aloof". In their report to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which was presented on Monday to a committee of Pakistan's legislators, coach Intikhab Alam and manager Yawar Saeed said they had recommended that Younis Khan replace Malik as Pakistan captain.

"We found him to be a loner, aloof and involved in his own little world, which is OK, but not when the team required a fully committed captain," the report said.

The report also said members of the Pakistan team were not comfortable with Malik's leadership. "We do not see any meaningful communication between players and captain other than his [Malik's] five-minute talk during the team meeting. We have also not noticed him spending quality time with his players, which a successful captain must.

To be honest, it is very evident that the team is not looking up to their captain. We believe that this team ... needs a new leader. Looking around the team and beyond, in our humble opinion, the name of Younis Khan comes to mind."

After a night and day of intense speculation, and a day full of meetings, Malik was replaced by Younis as captain on January 27. Rumours of Malik's axing had begun floating almost as soon as Pakistan trooped off the field after one of their worst ODI defeats to Sri Lanka last month.

Malik's downfall had been on the cards for some time. His win-loss record in ODIs remains impressive but it came against weak opposition. Against stronger teams he was less successful and the resounding nature of the defeats to Sri Lanka sealed the matter. But as much as on-field results, the pressure built on Malik because of his inability to build a relationship with the senior players in the team. Mohammad Yousuf criticised him openly, though he did so only after going to the ICL. Privately, at least two other senior players were also unhappy with Malik's approach and particularly at the clique he is said to have cultivated within the team.