“It’s not the end of the world” – Shoaib Malik
Former http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 captain Shoaib Malik has said that being overlooked for next month’s World Cup is not end of world for him and has played down prospects of retiring from cricket in the near future.
“...it’s not the end of the world and cricket too,” said Malik in an interview. “I will not leave playing cricket and try to cash in other opportunities come my way by playing domestic cricket and events outside the country.”
The 28-year-old although conceded that he was passing through the most difficult time of his cricketing career, but at the same time he was positive about a sound cricketing future ahead.
The middle-order batsman has not really enjoyed the selectors’ faith in the recent months and has not appeared in any international match for the past six months. His last international appearance was against England in August 2010, during the controversial
summer tour of England. Malik has been struggling for a place in the national side since then.
It was expected that the experienced all-rounder would be among the players that would tour neighbouring South Asian countries for the World Cup outing; however, the batsman as well as the fans were left opened mouthed when the 28-year-old was not even picked
in the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad announced earlier this month.
Malik said that playing in the next month’s mega cricketing event was his utmost desire but the selectors’ decision has left him heartbroken, as he was snubbed when he was in his best form.
“...it becomes more disappointing when one is ignored when one is in the best form of his life,” said the former captain. “I have never been in form like this before in 11 years of my international career the way I played in the recently concluded Quaid
Trophy,” Malik added.
With a tally of 799 runs from just six matches in the recently concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One, Malik was the leading run scorer of the tournament just behind Rameez Raja of Karachi Blues who compiled 801 runs from 11 matches.
“Cricket is my passion. I thought I could have won this World Cup for Pakistan and that is why it is very difficult to make myself understand,” said the dejected middle-order batsman.
Shoaib Malik, who tied knot with Indian Tennis star Sania Mirza in April last year, said that his wife has been very supportive during this most difficult phase of his life. He further added that being herself a sports woman, she has been through ups and
downs in her career as well and is able to cope up well with a disappointing situation like this.
“I am very lucky to have Sania as my wife who is sporting and helping me at every step to handle all this,” said the Pakistan cricketer.
The middle-order batsman from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sialkot-c842 is considered as a limited-overs specialist, since his Test records have never been as impressive as in ODIs and T20s. He could amass just 1606 Test runs at an average of 33 and picked up only 21 wickets from 32 Tests.
In ODIs he compiled a tally of 5188 runs including 31 fifties and seven centuries besides claiming 134 scalps.
Despite non-impressive Test figures, the all-rounder has no plans of retiring from Test cricket; rather he wants to continue playing all three forms of international cricket for another eight years at least.
“I know my Test performance level is not as high but I am not that sort of guy who thinks that I can’t do this or that,” said Malik. “I have worked very hard on few issues of my game and that worked really well in Quad Trophy. And I want to play all three
versions of the game for the next seven to eight years,” he added.
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