http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shoaib-Malik-c90088 deal with Indian channel irks PCB: Reports
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik’s decision of not participating in the domestic Pentangular Cup due to his commitments with an Indian TV channel has irked the Pakistan Cricket Board and its selectors.
“The selectors are not very happy because already most of the top players are playing in the World Cup and the tournament has lost its competitive edge,” said a PCB source.
The out-of-favour middle-order batsman declined PCB’s offer to lead the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Punjab-c833 side in the five-team tournament, citing his commitment with an Indian television channel to work as a cricket pundit during the six-week long ICC World Cup 2011.
The Pentangular Cup, which includes four teams from the four provinces of Pakistan and one from the Federal areas, is clashing with the group stage of the World Cup.
The national selectors are responsible to select all the five teams for the high-profile domestic tournament and sources in the PCB said that the axed all-rounder had informed the selectors that he was not available for the competition because of his commitments with an Indian channel during the mega cricketing event.
Malik, who was amongst the top run scorers in the recently concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, was overlooked for the esteemed World Cup event without being given any reason. So the middle-order batsman felt it would be worth participating in the prestigious tournament as an expert.
“He feels he has done enough at the domestic level to prove his fitness and form to the selectors and now he has the right to earn some money during the World Cup from his media commitment,” another source said.
Malik, as reported by a source within the PCB, had signed the media deal before the schedule of Pentangular Cup was announced by the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 Cricket Board.
He has already annoyed the selectors when he opted to play league cricket in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 at the cost of a domestic tournament.
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