Shoaib Malik: “Each of India’s main bowlers had one over left. MS Dhoni asked everyone, but they refused to bowl the last over. They were afraid to bowl to Misbah-ul-Haq”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik claimed India’s main bowlers were scared to bowl to former captain Misbah-ul-Haq in the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup.
He further alleged that MS Dhoni, who was India’s captain at the time, asked all his bowlers to bowl the last over of the match, but each one of them refused.
However, it should be noted that RP Singh, Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan had bowled their four overs going into the final over.
As a result, Dhoni made Joginder Sharma bowl the last over, where he became an overnight hero after dismissing Misbah to lead the men in blue to a thrilling five-run win.
“I will not take names. Each of India’s main bowlers had one over left. MS Dhoni asked everyone, but they refused to bowl the last over. They were afraid to bowl to Misbah-ul-Haq. He was hitting all over the ground,” Malik said on A Sports’ show The Pavilion as quoted by NDTV.
“People always talk about that scoop shot by Misbah. I am telling you, If it was not the last wicket, he must have hit him down the ground. He had already hit Joginder for a big six in that over.”
Malik is currently playing for the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he has scored 164 runs in five matches, which includes two fifties, at an average of 41 and a strike-rate of 137.81.
The Kings’ next game will be against the Multan Sultans on February 26.
Karachi Kings Squad for PSL 8: Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik, Aamir Yamin, Sharjeel Khan, Qasim Akram, Matthew Wade, Imran Tahir, James Vince, James Fuller, Andrew Tye, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Akhlaq, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Tabraiz Shamsi, Mohammad Umar, Ben Cutting, Musa Khan, Faisal Akram (partial replacement for Tabraiz Shamsi), Adam Rossington (partial replacement for James Vince), Akif Javed (replaced Mir Hamza)