Haroon Rasheed: “You have to see which players can fit in your current combination. In fact, we also have to see if such player [Malik] can play any specific role in an important event, which can increase the possibility of Pakistan winning”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan chief selector Haroon Rasheed said he has to see if veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik can increase the national team’s chances of winning before recalling him.
Malik hasn’t played international cricket since November 2021, but has been active on the domestic circuit.
In the recently-concluded edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the 41-year-old represented the Karachi Kings and scored 200 runs in nine matches, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 28.57 and a strike-rate of 127.38.
Rasheed added that in addition to having an impact, he has to assess whether Malik will fit into the current combination or if he can picked for a specific role.
“You have to see which players can fit in your current combination. In fact, we also have to see if such player [Malik] can play any specific role in an important event, which can increase the possibility of Pakistan winning,” he told Cricket Pakistan.
Malik wasn’t selected for Pakistan’s white-ball series against New Zealand, which will begin on April 14 and consist of five T20Is and five ODIs.
Pakistan squad for T20I series against New Zealand:Â Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman Khan
Pakistan squad for ODI series against New Zealand:Â Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir