Shoaib Malik, Pakistan's under-fire captain, has dismissed speculation that rifts are emerging in his side after losses to India and South Africa under his leadership. Malik, who was appointed captain after the World Cup, has been retained as leader until December 2008 by the Pakistan board, despite the poor start to his tenure.
Pakistan has been rife with talk that two camps have emerged in the team, one supporting Younis Khan's push for captaincy and the other behind the incumbent Malik. This was, Malik said however, just talk.
"It hurts to end the year on a disappointing note with defeats in India. But there is no truth in rumours of differences within the team," he said. "The team has been playing as a unit and that is why we managed to draw the last two Tests in India. The seniors have been extending full co-operation and I am happy with my position as captain."
Malik pointed out that injuries to key players, particularly in the fast bowling department, cost Pakistan heavily through the tour. "It made a big difference to our performance because our bowling lacked bite. In the one-day series we fought hard and it was a close rubber. In the Delhi Test one bad session cost us the match.
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