Malik is a stylish middle-order bat and useful off-spinner

The 25-year-old, who has played 18 Tests and 137 one-day internationals, replaces Inzamam-ul-Haq who quit ODIs after the ignominious World Cup exit.

Vice-captain Younis Khan ruled himself out of contention for the captaincy but prolific batsman Mohammad Yousuf openly revealed his desire to take the job.

Malik, has been appointed captain for 2007 and his first task is set to be a series with Sri Lanka in May.

A three-match one-day series with the Sri Lankans has been scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi.

606: DEBATE Is Malik the right choice for captain?

Malik, who has batted in a variety of positions, made 148 in Sri Lanka last year and also has five ODI centuries.

And he said he intends to model his captaincy on Pakistan legend Wasim Akram.

"As a captain, I consider myself to be in the mould of Wasim," he said. "He is my ideal captain.

"I am going to have an aggressive approach. I don't like a defensive approach."

As a captain, I consider myself to be in the mould of Wasim Akram. Shoaib Malik

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf told a press conference: "He has been appointed as captain with the future of Pakistan cricket in mind."

And former skipper Imran Khan, who led the team to World Cup glory in 1992, backed Malik for the role earlier this week.

"He appears to have a good cricket brain and could turn out to be a very good choice for Pakistan cricket," Imran said.

The legendary all-rounder, now a politician, also criticised Younis for distancing himself from the position and said: "I don't understand it. If he didn't want to be captain he should not have accepted the vice-captaincy for the last two years."