South Africa are likely to select a new vice-captain for the shorter formats in the near future, as current deputy Hashim Amla has revealed that he wants to step down from the post and focus fully on his batting.

Amla was asked to lead the side against New Zealand in the ODIs when skipper AB de Villiers was suspended, but he declined the offer. This meant that Faf du Plessis took over for the two matches, and is the likely candidate to replace Amla as VC.

In contrast to Amla's reluctance, Du Plessis appeared to relish wearing the proverbial armband against the Kiwis, and though his side lost one out of two games, he impressed with his calm demeanor and tactics.

The soft-spoken Amla said: "It's something I am considering - stepping down. There is no point in me being vice-captain if I'm not going to captain when the captain isn't around. We will make that decision soon."

South Africa's chairman of selectors, Andrew Hudson, conceded that Amla did not enjoy his leadership role and would rather be involved as a senior player in an unofficial way, rather than in the spotlight.

He told ESPNcricinfo: "We did ask Hashim to captain in the one-day series against New Zealand and he declined. He said he wanted to concentrate on his batting. We will take this into account going forward.

"He may end up relinquishing the role. Having a vice-captain who is not available when he needs to captain defeats the objective. Hashim is happy to play a supporting role but perhaps not in an official capacity.

"We will consider this when the contracts come up for renewal. We have no doubt he will continue to contribute but maybe not as vice-captain."