The Peshawar Zalmi management announced on Thursday that it has appointed Darren Sammy as the new head coach of the team and Wahab Riaz as the new captain during a press conference in Rawalpindi.

The current head coach Muhammad Akram will become the director of cricket for the Peshawar Zalmi franchise.

Speaking at the press conference, Sammy said that he had realised he was not "fully fit" while playing over the last two years. "My fitness and form are not what they need to be in order to win games for Zalmi.

"I had a fantastic time with Peshawar Zalmi but now I realise that I am not fit enough to play, I will play my last game as a player today," he added.

Peshawar Zalmi were scheduled to play their seventh match against defending champions Quetta Gladiators at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Last month, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced that Sammy would be awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan and honorary citizenship on March 23 for his "invaluable contribution to cricket in the country".