GORDON Drummond, the Carlton all-rounder, said last night that his decision to stand down as Saltires captain, just three days before the start of their season, was one of the toughest of his career.

He will continue to be available for selection – he took part in two Twenty20 matches with Durham yesterday – and is likely to feature in Sunday's YB40 opener against Hampshire.

"I'm not an emotional guy but the last couple of days have definitely got to me," he said. "It was a hard, hard decision to make because captaining your country is the pinnacle. I've been extremely proud to lead Scotland at an important time for cricket in this country but the time is right to go.

"It is getting harder all the time to combine having a full-time job [he is a sports development officer with Edinburgh City Council] with playing international cricket, never mind being captain. I'm one of the few who is not a full-time cricketer and I think the captain needs to be around the guys all the time."

Drummond admitted that he was tempted to wait until after this summer's high-profile one-day internationals against Pakistan and Australia. He could also have stayed in the role until after the latest World Cup qualifying campaign later in the year. However, he added: "Going now will give the new man valuable experience in the YB40 which is a pressurised situation. From a personal and selfish point of view, it would have been nice to stay on and there was a temptation but Scottish cricket has to move forward. I believe my decision will help that process while allowing me to concentrate on trying to earn my place in the team. That will be hard enough."

Drummond replaced Gavin Hamilton at the helm three years ago, since when he has led the team on 66 occasions. His win percentage of almost 38% is better than any player who captained the side more than 10 times. "Stats don't mean much to me but it's nice to have a decent record and I like to think I helped some of the guys get the best out of themselves," he said. His successor is likely to be his Carlton team-mate Preston Mommsen, the South African-born batsman.

Pete Steindl, Scotland's head coach, said: "Gordon has led his country with distinction. He has been a fantastic role model and excellent leader, working tirelessly to create an effective environment during a time of change. Much of this work has been done selflessly and behind the scenes in a manner that has always matched his philosophy that the team always comes first. I am pleased that Gordon has decided to play on as he will continue to have a positive influence in the dressing room."

Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland's chief executive, added: "Gordon has been an exceptional leader for Scotland. He took over during a difficult period for the side and has provided a very strong leadership team along with Peter Steindl."

Drummond's side suffered back-to-back T20 defeats to Durham's second string at Chester-le-Street yesterday. In the opening encounter, the hosts reached their target of 122 with three balls to spare, thanks mainly to an unbeaten half-century by their captain Gordon Muchall. Durham recorded a much more clear-cut success in the second tussle, with the Scots falling short by 17 runs in reply to 179 for seven. Ryan Pringle hit a quickfire 68 for the county.