James Hopes installed as Queensland captain

Cricket is very much about runs on the board and Chris Simpson's lack of them last summer contributed to his downfall as Queensland captain.

The 28-year-old all-rounder made the tough call to step down as Bulls captain for the upcoming domestic season after being confronted by the prospect of a split leadership arrangement between the state's one-day and four-day sides this summer.

Australian one-day all-rounder James Hopes was named as Queensland's 49th captain following a frantic 24 hours for Queensland Cricket (QC) after Simpson alerted them to his decision to step down on Monday afternoon.

It's understood Simpson, a dynamic hitter in the shorter game, could not be guaranteed the Bulls captaincy following a first-class batting average of 21 with the bat last season.

While held in high regard by officials, the all-rounder's lack of runs was an issue for the team in his role as captain.

The idea of a split captaincy was bounced off him by selectors during an end of season meeting months ago.