Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik: “If I will be given clarity and will be asked to play, then I will definitely consider”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Senior Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik said he wants to “be given clarity” first before he considers making a return to international cricket.
Malik has spoken about his interest of playing T20Is for Pakistan in the past, but the 41-year-old last represented his country in November 2021.
Despite it being over two years since his last game for the men in green, he continues to be active on the domestic circuit and is currently playing for Sialkot Region in the National T20 Cup.
In the seven matches he has featured in, Malik has scored 177 runs, which includes a top score of 84 not out, at an average of 44.25 and a strike-rate of 129.19.
“If I will be given clarity and will be asked to play, then I will definitely consider,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
The Pakistan team was recently involved in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup and started off with consecutive wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka before losing four in a row to India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa.
Despite fighting back to defeat Bangladesh and New Zealand, they could not make it through to the semi-finals.
The men in green ended their campaign in disappointing fashion as England crushed them by 93 runs.
Pakistan will now take on Australia in a three-match Test series, which starts on December 14 in Perth.
Pakistan Squad for Australia Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi