Abdullah719
T20I Captain
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2013
- Runs
- 44,825
"I don't want to make that statement, that I will retire after the 2020 T20 World Cup": Shoaib Malik
Shoaib Malik at a media talk:
"I don't want to think about the World Cup. My selection is for the BD series and I want to avail any opportunities I get. The WC is far away, I don't focus on goals far away. What is in my hands, my performances that can benefit the team, I'll focus on that. Youngsters in the team need to be groomed and that's the priority. The World Cup is far away and I don't want to focus on that.
"I have recently played BPL and saw some of their youngsters, they made a good combination with the seniors. Their team is quite strong and their system is quite strong. Their side is well balanced.
"With the Pakistan team, in Tests and ODIs there is some experience missing but when it comes to T20I cricket, we have players who have played a lot of matches. When I go to play leagues, other teams' player and management praise Babar and it feels nice. Hopefully when other players also get consistent chances, they will also insha'Allah perform like Babar.
"As for Hafeez and myself, we are experienced. Performance is the first priority but we also need to think about the dressing room atmosphere and helping our young captain. We will try to share our experiences with the youngsters in the team.
"I am a human being, I also slip up and start thinking negative things. If anyone says they don't get negative thoughts and they don't become angry, that's wrong. Anything that happened in the past, I have left it behind.
"My performances in the ODI WC weren't good but in T20Is, whenever the team was #1, I did perform well. The new management came and tried some new things with new players to try and make a well balanced side, I don't think they should be criticised for that. As for myself, I stay positive. Whenever I get a chance, in any league, I focus and try to do my best. Whether you play a club match or for Pakistan, you should give it your best shot. But of course, there's no feeling like when you play for Pakistan.
"If seniors aren't good and have their personal agendas, it's never good. Your intention should always be to help the team. Whenever I have played, Hafeez bhai has played, he has always helped the team. Captaincy isn't a major thing in my view, your priority is the same. It's just that your responsibility increases a bit. I don't run after captaincy or think it's something that you should strive for. I don't think you can only give your best as a captain, you should always try to do your best in any situation. Seniors can help with grooming the captain and youngsters and help with improving the system.
"I have not lost hope, it's wrong to lose hope. If I had lost hope, I would have left all cricket, I wouldn't play in leagues either because I don't like to drag things. I am not insecure in life. Until your body is supporting you, you can achieve anything and the goal was that I should do whatever I can for Pakistan because I think I am good enough. When I came back from CPL, I played domestic matches in the hope of making a comeback. For any professional cricketer, no league that you play in can provide the same sense of satisfaction.
"I think it was a good decision by the board to not give Hafeez and me a central contract. Other players are more deserving besides us and I appreciate this decision to focus on youngsters who can play for a longer time than us. I fully back this decision.
"It's not necessary that things always go according to your wishes or your thinking, there are ups and downs. You don't learn as much during your highs as you do during lows, sometimes lows are good for your life. I kept playing and then made my comeback in 2015. I came in 1 format, then another, then all 3. My performances in the 2019 WC weren't that good, I had already announced my ODI retirement. Performances keep going up and down but you should be positive.
"Whenever we go to any league, we ask other players about Pakistan and they also ask us about how things are in the country. We tell them that if we roam around alone in the country, there is no problem and things are very good now. In Pakistan, the security is such that you don't get anywhere else in the world. BD players also asked and I told them that they should come and they will enjoy it, our stadiums, people and media are very supportive and welcoming. Only 1 player isn't coming and that's due to family, that's personal and I don't want to comment on that but I will request that if you're not coming now, please do come next time. I'm sure that when the BD team sees the atmosphere here and the security, they will be able to convince the 1-2 cricketers who didn't come and next time, they will come.
"We all have different natures and points of view. So debate and mutual understanding to select a team is good. I don't want to show anyone what I can do or what calibre player I am. Whether the selection committee, captain etc. want you or don't want you, your goal should be to do your best. Going against someone who wasn't supportive of me or being with someone who backed me, I never think of these things, I just want to focus on doing well myself.
"I want to play as an all-rounder but that depends on the captain and the plan that the team management makes, the match situation, etc. I am available as an all-rounder and when I am captaining, I try to bowl because that provides an extra edge that helps the team combination. I am fully fit for bowling, fielding and batting. I am at a part of my career in terms of performances, you all can see my performances in the 3-4 leagues I have played since the WC. Physically, I feel very fit. I wish I had this fitness regime when I was young. I was blessed that my father was an athlete. Now, I want to keep doing the hard yards as long as I am playing, you have to get out of your comfort zone and I don't feel stress on my body right now.
"I was saying since quite a while that 2019 WC was my last ODI tournament and in T20I, the 2020 T20 World Cup, that is my last T20 tournament and that is still my thought. But I am still enjoying my cricket and I don't want to make that statement, that I will retire after the 2020 T20 World Cup. When I get closer, I will see what happens and make a decision.
"The new management is trying new players so we can have a strong team in the WC. This time, central contracts were given to fewer players due to the revamped domestic structure and investments there. I don't think it's a major thing that lesser players are centrally contracted, we are still trying new players. There are some players who performed in domestic cricket. Before, around 30 players used to get central contracts.
Shoaib Malik at a media talk:
"I don't want to think about the World Cup. My selection is for the BD series and I want to avail any opportunities I get. The WC is far away, I don't focus on goals far away. What is in my hands, my performances that can benefit the team, I'll focus on that. Youngsters in the team need to be groomed and that's the priority. The World Cup is far away and I don't want to focus on that.
"I have recently played BPL and saw some of their youngsters, they made a good combination with the seniors. Their team is quite strong and their system is quite strong. Their side is well balanced.
"With the Pakistan team, in Tests and ODIs there is some experience missing but when it comes to T20I cricket, we have players who have played a lot of matches. When I go to play leagues, other teams' player and management praise Babar and it feels nice. Hopefully when other players also get consistent chances, they will also insha'Allah perform like Babar.
"As for Hafeez and myself, we are experienced. Performance is the first priority but we also need to think about the dressing room atmosphere and helping our young captain. We will try to share our experiences with the youngsters in the team.
"I am a human being, I also slip up and start thinking negative things. If anyone says they don't get negative thoughts and they don't become angry, that's wrong. Anything that happened in the past, I have left it behind.
"My performances in the ODI WC weren't good but in T20Is, whenever the team was #1, I did perform well. The new management came and tried some new things with new players to try and make a well balanced side, I don't think they should be criticised for that. As for myself, I stay positive. Whenever I get a chance, in any league, I focus and try to do my best. Whether you play a club match or for Pakistan, you should give it your best shot. But of course, there's no feeling like when you play for Pakistan.
"If seniors aren't good and have their personal agendas, it's never good. Your intention should always be to help the team. Whenever I have played, Hafeez bhai has played, he has always helped the team. Captaincy isn't a major thing in my view, your priority is the same. It's just that your responsibility increases a bit. I don't run after captaincy or think it's something that you should strive for. I don't think you can only give your best as a captain, you should always try to do your best in any situation. Seniors can help with grooming the captain and youngsters and help with improving the system.
"I have not lost hope, it's wrong to lose hope. If I had lost hope, I would have left all cricket, I wouldn't play in leagues either because I don't like to drag things. I am not insecure in life. Until your body is supporting you, you can achieve anything and the goal was that I should do whatever I can for Pakistan because I think I am good enough. When I came back from CPL, I played domestic matches in the hope of making a comeback. For any professional cricketer, no league that you play in can provide the same sense of satisfaction.
"I think it was a good decision by the board to not give Hafeez and me a central contract. Other players are more deserving besides us and I appreciate this decision to focus on youngsters who can play for a longer time than us. I fully back this decision.
"It's not necessary that things always go according to your wishes or your thinking, there are ups and downs. You don't learn as much during your highs as you do during lows, sometimes lows are good for your life. I kept playing and then made my comeback in 2015. I came in 1 format, then another, then all 3. My performances in the 2019 WC weren't that good, I had already announced my ODI retirement. Performances keep going up and down but you should be positive.
"Whenever we go to any league, we ask other players about Pakistan and they also ask us about how things are in the country. We tell them that if we roam around alone in the country, there is no problem and things are very good now. In Pakistan, the security is such that you don't get anywhere else in the world. BD players also asked and I told them that they should come and they will enjoy it, our stadiums, people and media are very supportive and welcoming. Only 1 player isn't coming and that's due to family, that's personal and I don't want to comment on that but I will request that if you're not coming now, please do come next time. I'm sure that when the BD team sees the atmosphere here and the security, they will be able to convince the 1-2 cricketers who didn't come and next time, they will come.
"We all have different natures and points of view. So debate and mutual understanding to select a team is good. I don't want to show anyone what I can do or what calibre player I am. Whether the selection committee, captain etc. want you or don't want you, your goal should be to do your best. Going against someone who wasn't supportive of me or being with someone who backed me, I never think of these things, I just want to focus on doing well myself.
"I want to play as an all-rounder but that depends on the captain and the plan that the team management makes, the match situation, etc. I am available as an all-rounder and when I am captaining, I try to bowl because that provides an extra edge that helps the team combination. I am fully fit for bowling, fielding and batting. I am at a part of my career in terms of performances, you all can see my performances in the 3-4 leagues I have played since the WC. Physically, I feel very fit. I wish I had this fitness regime when I was young. I was blessed that my father was an athlete. Now, I want to keep doing the hard yards as long as I am playing, you have to get out of your comfort zone and I don't feel stress on my body right now.
"I was saying since quite a while that 2019 WC was my last ODI tournament and in T20I, the 2020 T20 World Cup, that is my last T20 tournament and that is still my thought. But I am still enjoying my cricket and I don't want to make that statement, that I will retire after the 2020 T20 World Cup. When I get closer, I will see what happens and make a decision.
"The new management is trying new players so we can have a strong team in the WC. This time, central contracts were given to fewer players due to the revamped domestic structure and investments there. I don't think it's a major thing that lesser players are centrally contracted, we are still trying new players. There are some players who performed in domestic cricket. Before, around 30 players used to get central contracts.
