Veteran Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik has expressed his aspirations to play for the country in the T20 format of the game if provided an opportunity in the future and revealed that he has no plans to play ODI cricket and Test Cricket for the national team.
The 41-year-old has already retired from Tests and ODIs but hasn’t quit from T20Is and has been playing his trade in franchise cricket around the globe. The veteran middle-order batter last featured for Pakistan in November 2021 against Bangladesh and hasn’t been picked since then.
Speaking to the Pak.tv, Shoaib Malik said that his performance was good for Pakistan in the T20 cricket and revealed that he is ready to return to the national team in the shorter format of the game and added that he has zero expectations from the team management as he wants to continue playing the game as long as fit to play.
“When I was dropped from the Pakistan team, my performances and stats were very good. I have retired from Tests and ODI and I have no plans of making a comeback in those formats. However, I am ready to return to the T20 team if they call me. But I don’t expect anything from the captain, the selectors, or the PCB. I have zero expectations from anyone. I am fit and will continue as long as I enjoy playing,” Shoaib Malik said.
Shoaib Malik’s last T20I was in November against Bangladesh, after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021. He played 35 Tests, 287 ODIs, and 124 T20Is, amassing over 10,000 runs in all three formats combined, averaging above 30 in each, and has been a stalwart of Pakistan cricket for over a decade and a half.
My Hopes Are Very High – Shoaib Malik Opens Up His Expectations From Pakistan
Shoaib Malik said that all the teams will be under pressure to perform in the marquee event later this year and added that he has high hopes for the Pakistan team going into the ODI World Cup in India as they have got enough resources to do well in the mega event in India.
“All the participating teams will be under pressure during the World Cup, and the same goes for Pakistan. However, Pakistan has been playing very well, and a lot of players are in great form currently. My hopes are very high,” Shoaib Malik added.
The Men in Green will fancy their chances of coming into the marquee event in India, as they have got enough resources in the team to win the championship in India. They have not won the World Cup since clinching their maiden title way back in 1992 and they look to put up an impressive on the Indian soil.