Former Pakistani skipper Shoaib Malik announced his plans for retirement from 50-over cricket. Malik said that 2019 World Cup in England and Wales would be his last in the limited overs game.
“The 2019 World Cup is my last event of the 50-over cricket. I will try to play T20 cricket if I continue to stay fit and put up performances,” media reports quoted Malik as saying. He had retired from Tests in 2015.
Malik, who made his Pakistan debut in 1999 in a One-Day International (ODI) against the West Indies at Sharjah, however, would continue to play in the shortest format of the game, though subject to his fitness and performances.
Malik has so far scored 6,975 ODI runs at an average of 35.22, including nine 100s and 41 fifties and has taken 154 wickets with his off-spin bowling.
Malik, who has been part of Pakistan’s two major cricketing moments — the World T20 title in 2009 and the ICC Champions Trophy trophy in 2017 — expressed his desire to win the 50-over quadrennial tournament in 2019.
“To serve your team & country, it is not necessary to remain part of team and playing XI. You can also serve your team by vacating the place for a talented youngster.”
Shoaib Malik@realshoaibmalik#Pakistan #Cricket pic.twitter.com/xqRPnrEXOD— Abdul Majid Humayun (@MajidHumayun) June 26, 2018
“I have set goals for myself and one of them is winning the World Cup 2019. I already have two major cricketing titles in my career, the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy, and now this is the only title left,” he said.
2019 WC will kick-start on May 30 at Kennington Oval in London.
Malik became the captain of Pakistan team after Inzamam-ul-Haq’s retirement in 2007. He remained captain of the side for two years. In his two-year tenure as captain, Malik led his country in three Tests (losing two and drawing one), 36 ODIs (of which Pakistan won 24) and 17 T20Is, winning 12.
Meanwhile, Pakistan will start their campaign against Windies on May 31. The match would be played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
Earlier, Pakistan won the World Cup in 1992, held in Australia and New Zealand, under Imran Khan’s captaincy. Pakistan lifted the trophy after they beat England in the finals on March 25, 1992.
