I own moral responsibility for our failure8217;

I accepted the captaincy knowing that the Australian tour would be a tough one. Judging from the Australian team8217;s performance they had won the World Cup I tried my best but nothing worked for us. I do not want to offer any excuses for our poor performance in Australia. As captain, I take the moral responsibility for our failure.

I feel sorry for not living upto the expectations of my countrymen, who have always supported us and wished well for the team. I have decided to step down from captaincy after theforthcoming two Tests against South Africa. That will give some time for the next captain to get himself prepared for the job.

I assure you that I will always give my best as I have always done in the past. And I am ready to play in the team under anyone and with anyone. Finally, I would like to thank all my team members and the Board members for supporting me.