Veteran fast bowler Mohammad Sami was named captain of Islamabad United for the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League.

Sami was unveiled as captain of the defending champions of PSL on Monday, ending weeks of speculation about the leadership.

Fast bowler Sami has been going strong in PSL since the inaugural edition in 2016. He is the second highest wickettaker in the league with 37 wickets from 27 matches.

Announcing the decision, Islamabad franchise owner Ali Naqvi said: “Sami has always conducted himself in a way that defines us and has been one of the stars for the team over the past three years, winning multiple matches on his own. Furthermore, he has years of captaincy experience – he has captained various Karachi teams for almost a decade now and has been successful in that role. He was our first choice for the role.”

Sami expressed his delight at the announcement, stating: “It’s an honour for me that Islamabad United and Ali Naqvi have selected me to lead the franchise. I have always aimed to give my all to the team, to repay the faith that they have vested in him, and I hope that I will be able to rise to this challenge too.”

Pakistan‘s star leg-spinner Shadab has been given the vice-captaincy, underlining his captaincy prospects at the national level. The fourth edition of PSL begins in UAE on February 14.