My undefined role in World Twenty20 led to my axing: Malik
Former captain believes he can deliver better as an all-rounder
KARACHI:
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) needs to define clear roles for players at the time of their selection to avoid what happened in the World Twenty20, said former Pakistan captain Shoaib Mailk during a press conference at Karachi’s National Stadium.
Malik was exempted from international cricket after his less-than-satisfactory performance in the mega event, which he claims happened due to lack of communication on the board’s and team management’s part as they sent him out to bat on different positions each day.
“The PCB should convey their expectations to the players they are selecting and should also inform on what grounds will they be exempted from the team,” said Malik, adding that the players will perform better if they are told their role beforehand.
While answering a question about his opinion about who the top four teams in the 2015 World Cup will be, Malik said, “I want us to perform well and have a shot at the title, but Pakistan is focusing on its spinners, while the Australian pitches favour pacers more.
“Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India will definitely be the top four favourite teams as they have good pacers who can take advantage of those pitches.
“In our team, Ahmed Shahzad and Haris Sohail are performing really well, while Muhmmad Hafeez is also a great player,” he said while hoping Hafeez’s bowling action is cleared soon.
The 32-year-old, who is a part of the 30-man preliminary squad for the mega event, added that playing for one’s country in a World Cup is the dream of every cricketer.
“If I get a chance to lead the team, I will train young players through my 15 years of experience, which is enough to understand cricket around the world,” he said.
Malik, who considers himself an all-rounder, hopes that he will be selected in the same role as he can perform better with both bat and ball. “I have been playing in professional leagues around the world as an all-rounder, and they have never raised any questions on my bowling action.”
He further said that he will only be available for two matches at the ongoing Pentangular Cup as he will have to leave for Australia to play the Big Bash T20 League. “Playing there and getting used to the Australian environment will be useful for the world cup,” he added.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) needs to define clear roles for players at the time of their selection to avoid what happened in the World Twenty20, said former Pakistan captain Shoaib Mailk during a press conference at Karachi’s National Stadium.
Malik was exempted from international cricket after his less-than-satisfactory performance in the mega event, which he claims happened due to lack of communication on the board’s and team management’s part as they sent him out to bat on different positions each day.
“The PCB should convey their expectations to the players they are selecting and should also inform on what grounds will they be exempted from the team,” said Malik, adding that the players will perform better if they are told their role beforehand.
While answering a question about his opinion about who the top four teams in the 2015 World Cup will be, Malik said, “I want us to perform well and have a shot at the title, but Pakistan is focusing on its spinners, while the Australian pitches favour pacers more.
“Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India will definitely be the top four favourite teams as they have good pacers who can take advantage of those pitches.
“In our team, Ahmed Shahzad and Haris Sohail are performing really well, while Muhmmad Hafeez is also a great player,” he said while hoping Hafeez’s bowling action is cleared soon.
The 32-year-old, who is a part of the 30-man preliminary squad for the mega event, added that playing for one’s country in a World Cup is the dream of every cricketer.
“If I get a chance to lead the team, I will train young players through my 15 years of experience, which is enough to understand cricket around the world,” he said.
Malik, who considers himself an all-rounder, hopes that he will be selected in the same role as he can perform better with both bat and ball. “I have been playing in professional leagues around the world as an all-rounder, and they have never raised any questions on my bowling action.”
He further said that he will only be available for two matches at the ongoing Pentangular Cup as he will have to leave for Australia to play the Big Bash T20 League. “Playing there and getting used to the Australian environment will be useful for the world cup,” he added.