Sri Lanka's new skipper Kumar Sangakkara said Thursday he was pleased to be given the job but added that his players would be expected to do more to improve their own performances.

Sangakkara, 31, said his immediate focus was on the World Twenty20 series in England and on building on the success of the last skipper, Mahela Jayawardene.

Jayawardene relinquished his captaincy earlier this month, ending a three-year stint during which Sri Lanka finished runners-up to Australia in the 2007 World Cup and won 15 Tests.

"I will be stressing to the players the individual responsibility they must take on to improve and develop their games," Sangakkara said in a statement shortly after his appointment was formally announced.

"We need to make full use of the quality facilities and support staff we are fortunate enough have around us to become better players and a stronger team."

Sangakkara, who has played 80 Tests and 246 one-day internationals, said he viewed his deputy Muttiah Muralitharan as a guiding light for the national team.

"Murali's inspirational leadership and vast experience, coupled with his great integrity and complete trustworthiness, made him the ideal choice as vice captain," Sangakkara said.

Sangakkara is still recuperating after being injured when the team bus was attacked by armed gunmen in the Pakistani city of Lahore on March 3.

Doctors in Colombo removed shards of metal and shrapnel from his arm after the team was flown home last Wednesday.

Sri Lanka has no international matches till the World Twenty20 series in England in June.