[VIDEO] "I have no plans to retire now because I am fit, I can bat, I can bowl" : Shoaib Malik

[MenInG]

[VIDEO] "I have no plans to retire now because I am fit, I can bat, I can bowl" : Shoaib Malik

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik on Friday made it clear that he has no intentions of taking retirement from the sport.

"I am saying very clearly today I have not even thought about retirement. I have no plans to retire now because I am fit, I can bat, I can bowl and I can bowl," the 39-year-old batsman told the media on Friday.

Malik had recently taken shots at the Pakistan team management in a series of tweets, inferring that captain Babar Azam was not being allowed to take his independent decisions and the head coach had personal likes and dislikes in selecting players.

He also called for the appointment of a white ball coach for the national team.

"I have recently signed two-year contracts in some leagues so where does the question of me taking retirement after the World Cup arise," he said.

Malik made it clear that he was very fit and a performer.

"I can field in hotspots, I can take two runs and I can save two runs. When I have to bowl I can also bowl and I am batting well. My fitness is top grade," he said.

Malik, despite now focussing only on T20 format since retiring from Test and ODI matches, has been kept out of the Pakistan white ball squad since last year as head coach Misbah-ul-Haq keep on trying several new players in the batting order.

Malik apparently has made it clear to the head coach that even if they consider selecting him again he will bat at number four on a set position and not be moved around like in the past.

Malik also made the point that whenever he played in the Pakistan Super League or other foreign leagues he kept on performing in the shortest format and even now worked very hard on his fitness to compete with younger players.

The veteran allrounder has played in 35 Tests, 287 one-day internationals and 116 T20 internationals for his country.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...-retire-now-shoaib-malik-101619802876657.html


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[Rana]

He is right about his fitness. But he needs to think about the opportunities he is taking away from the younger players that he is keeping out of the game by stubbornly not giving up

 

[Hasan123]

Man Misbah set an awful precedent by playing till mid 40s. All Pakistan players think they can do that now lol. They think being fit is all that matters. Malik is rubbish against pace. Hence is useless selecting him at the age of 39 as he won’t improve in this aspect no matter how fit he is. Yes he is a good player of spin, but his limitations are too much to carry now.

 

[sam_ahm]

I thought Pakistan always missed a trick by not playing Malik at No. 3 in ODIs more often, Bob Woolmer used him at 3 with incredible success and surprisingly after Bob, no one played Malik at 3, his most successful position.

May be he was not that well suited lower down the order, may be he could have had a great career at 3. Just a thought.

 

[Markhor]

"I can bat except if the bowling is above 125kph"

 

[Bewal Express]

Let him play franchise cricket and warm to keep pavi happy but he should never play for PK again. A 23 year career with little to show. SM made his debut before the likes of Sehwag and Pietersen and they have long retired and they were legends and this guy, the less said the better

 

[AnonKB]

He should have retired after his shameless performance at the 2019 WC.

 

[Rana]

I know Pakistanis and Indians in league cricket who are still Gun at the age of 50-55

Asian sportsmen who have come out of hardship are pretty tough. I’m 31 right now and I have no plans of retiring from senior/competitive cricket until I am 57.

Good on you Malik, keep it up!

 

[shaz619]

Someone super kick Malik into retirement that would be most ideal

 

[UzmanBeast]

If Malik wants to play at #4, it means that Pakistan can only take one of Malik or Hafeez.

Either that, or Hafeez gets pushed down the order to accommodate Malik.

Wouldn't really matter, both are almost identical though Malik has been far more consistent in the format as a whole.

 

[Saj]

The R word and Pakistan cricketers. Hardly a match made in heaven over the years.

Malik won't go anywhere until he is pushed.

 

[Zaz]

He probably doesnt want to retire from t20 intnl because it may affect his valuability in playing all these leagues around the world

Its sad really that even after 20 plus years of playing for pakistan he still cant retire gracfully

 

[Slim]

Sharamful behavior of the highest order. Misbah has really ruined Pakistan cricket by setting another wrong precedent.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Sharamful behavior of the highest order. Misbah has really ruined Pakistan cricket by setting another wrong precedent.

Lol Afridi and Younis also unofficially played international cricket till 41 and 43 respectively. Afridi stated his birth year being 1975 per his autobiography and Younis stating it multiple times he was born in either 1973 or 74. Misbah and Younis kept performing till their last series. What's bad in that? If the younger ones aren't able to get better than the oldies then whose fault is it? But blaming Misbah seems like the most reasonable option.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

So he clearly has an issue with Misbah and doesn't want to play under him.
Secondly, he doesn't want to bat anywhere other than no.4.

Both are pretty selfish statements though. Hafeez is also pretty adamant about his batting position as well so I don't think Malik is going to get in.

He does perform well on Asian and slow surfaces and remains one of the better players of spin in Pakistan. Although I would like to have him strictly for the wt20i in India, but statements like these are not going to be healthy for the team atmosphere.

Plus all the veterans and others should realize it's the top 4 of the t20i team that is stacked now with empty no.5-no.8.
All the players vouching to play international cricket should be giving their all to get selected for these 3-4 numbers and work on power hitting, strike rotation and finding gaps to up the ante.

 

[Saj]

He probably doesnt want to retire from t20 intnl because it may affect his valuability in playing all these leagues around the world

Its sad really that even after 20 plus years of playing for pakistan he still cant retire gracfully

Very few Pakistani cricketers retire gracefully.

Sadly most retire ungracefully which is unfortunate given their service to Pakistan cricket for many years.

Most just won't accept when their time is up.

 

[Line and Length]

Say what you want about Malik as a player, but his mic skills are unmatched.

 

[Zaz]

Very few Pakistani cricketers retire gracefully.

Sadly most retire ungracefully which is unfortunate given their service to Pakistan cricket for many years.

Most just won't accept when their time is up.

I dont understand maliks stance

Surely he can retire from t20s intnls n continue to play these leagues around the world n keep the money coming in for the next couple of years

Whats the need for him to drag his name through the mud n for him to be forced out kicking n screaming

 

[Saj]

I dont understand maliks stance

Surely he can retire from t20s intnls n continue to play these leagues around the world n keep the money coming in for the next couple of years

Whats the need for him to drag his name through the mud n for him to be forced out kicking n screaming

I think he genuinely believes that he is still good enough to play for Pakistan and that is probably endorsed when he sees the likes of Asif Ali in the team.

 

[Ami]

We already have too many one dimensional players...dont want another.

Pakistan's bid to find hitters in odis or T20s has failed miserably since 2015..so may be go back to these sort of players and be contend with scores of 140-160.

Because...these guys aint getting you 200.

 

[Cric_lover4487]

Man Misbah set an awful precedent by playing till mid 40s. All Pakistan players think they can do that now lol. They think being fit is all that matters. Malik is rubbish against pace. Hence is useless selecting him at the age of 39 as he won’t improve in this aspect no matter how fit he is. Yes he is a good player of spin, but his limitations are too much to carry now.

Yea man. I am all for passion for playing as long you want but really sometimes its overkill. You lose respect for some of your favorite players who try to hog limelight way past their prime. As an Indian fan, i have endured Sachin dragging 2 years for his 100th hundred and Dhoni costing us WC. I hope PCB kick Malik out permanently. I have seen everything he had to offer to international cricket.

 

[PakLFC]

Just hope he never represents Pak national side again. We need to look forward instead of playing 40 year olds. Shoaib can keep playing for various leagues arund the world.

 

[AnonKB]

Yea man. I am all for passion for playing as long you want but really sometimes its overkill. You lose respect for some of your favorite players who try to hog limelight way past their prime. As an Indian fan, i have endured Sachin dragging 2 years for his 100th hundred and Dhoni costing us WC. I hope PCB kick Malik out permanently. I have seen everything he had to offer to international cricket.

It would be a bit more bearable if Malik was even half the player that Dhoni was, let alone Tendulkar. The fact is the guy was mediocre and would never have been allowed to have such a long career elsewhere. Atleast Dhoni had enough grace to retire before the T20 World Cup, while this serial loser is still trying to squeeze into the squad.

 

[Hasan123]

Yea man. I am all for passion for playing as long you want but really sometimes its overkill. You lose respect for some of your favorite players who try to hog limelight way past their prime. As an Indian fan, i have endured Sachin dragging 2 years for his 100th hundred and Dhoni costing us WC. I hope PCB kick Malik out permanently. I have seen everything he had to offer to international cricket.

Dhoni was a legend but he did carry his career on for too long. Malik is not even a legend. If you look at the history of cricket, let's be honest there aren't many examples of players close to 40 or over 40 being extremely successful at interview level. Hence a majority retire in their mid 30s.

 

[GreenKhan]

Man Misbah set an awful precedent by playing till mid 40s. All Pakistan players think they can do that now lol. They think being fit is all that matters. Malik is rubbish against pace. Hence is useless selecting him at the age of 39 as he won’t improve in this aspect no matter how fit he is. Yes he is a good player of spin, but his limitations are too much to carry now.

Why does Misbah get dragged into this . At the time Misfah retired from each format he was still a top performer for the team.

Odi- retired after 2015 World Cup . Was Pakistan’s top scorer at the tournament with an average of 50.

Tests. Retired after 2017 test series in West Indies . In that series he averaged 60 plus .

He retired from the t20s in 2012.

He was not a liability on the team and was there on merit . There is no harm In having an older player in the team as long as they are performing.

The likes of Malik and even Hafeez are just an embarrassment now . Mediocre cricketers , have played 10 years more than they should have , yet they still moan and feel there is an agenda against them .

There is no comparison between them and Misbah .

 

[Forum363]

Why does Misbah get dragged into this . At the time Misfah retired from each format he was still a top performer for the team.

Odi- retired after 2015 World Cup . Was Pakistan’s top scorer at the tournament with an average of 50.

Tests. Retired after 2017 test series in West Indies . In that series he averaged 60 plus .

He retired from the t20s in 2012.

He was not a liability on the team and was there on merit . There is no harm In having an older player in the team as long as they are performing.

The likes of Malik and even Hafeez are just an embarrassment now . Mediocre cricketers , have played 10 years more than they should have , yet they still moan and feel there is an agenda against them .

There is no comparison between them and Misbah .

Are you kidding?

Misbah’s last T20 match was the decider in a 3match series against England. He came out to bat at 48-2 with Pakistan needing 80 odd runs at 6 an over.... he batted until the final ball, scored 28 from 32 and Pakistan lost by 5 runs. His only boundary in the last 5 overs came from a misfield and he tuktuked us to an epic series loss out of nowhere.

After this he was forcibly shown the door which he complained about but had no choice as he was at least able to continue in ODIs and Tests.

 

[Snowflake]

Are you kidding?

Misbah’s last T20 match was the decider in a 3match series against England. He came out to bat at 48-2 with Pakistan needing 80 odd runs at 6 an over.... he batted until the final ball, scored 28 from 32 and Pakistan lost by 5 runs. His only boundary in the last 5 overs came from a misfield and he tuktuked us to an epic series loss out of nowhere.

After this he was forcibly shown the door which he complained about but had no choice as he was at least able to continue in ODIs and Tests.

That game was the poetic justice that Misbah's career deserved. He built his career around such innings where he would play the convenient role of an accumulator and leave the risk taking for the other batsman. If the other person failed while trying to accelerate, they'd be thrown under the bus and if they succeeded, Misbah would be given credit alongside for keeping things together. This is the reason why this guy did not score even a single century! He was always looking for someone else to take the initiate while he can play safe till the end of the innings.

In this game, no one else came to the rescue and we saw the true value of his innings. Any other player would kill to be given such a role where you can just go in and play at a strike rate of 70 till the end of the innings. Who wouldn't like that?

 

[Snowflake]

Pakistan's age old tendency to bring back ttfs from the dead has led to this attitude that we're now seeing from Hafeez and Malik. You can't blame these guys for thinking that they are still in the reckoning as our selectors have proven time and time again that come a big tournament along with some instability in the team, we'd open the doors for ttfs in a jiffy!

In other countries, even including India, players are quick to realize when the team has moved on from them. If Yuvraj was a Pakistani, I can my life that he'd still be a part of this lineup.

 

[hitthestump]

He is right about his fitness. But he needs to think about the opportunities he is taking away from the younger players that he is keeping out of the game by stubbornly not giving up

Every youngster in Pakistan has already been given several opportunities at this point so who is he blocking?

 

[Forum363]

That game was the poetic justice that Misbah's career deserved. He built his career around such innings where he would play the convenient role of an accumulator and leave the risk taking for the other batsman. If the other person failed while trying to accelerate, they'd be thrown under the bus and if they succeeded, Misbah would be given credit alongside for keeping things together. This is the reason why this guy did not score even a single century! He was always looking for someone else to take the initiate while he can play safe till the end of the innings.

In this game, no one else came to the rescue and we saw the true value of his innings. Any other player would kill to be given such a role where you can just go in and play at a strike rate of 70 till the end of the innings. Who wouldn't like that?

Absolutely. And his staunch refusal to accept his shortcomings and move aside for the younger players set an incredibly frustrating precedent which we will have to deal with for decades to come.

He did the same thing is PSL almost 10 years later. He played far past his value for Islamabad United and in his final season with them, was a complete passenger and waste of space. IU offered him a management place which he accepted but then at the last second made a deal with PZ and made them pick him in the draft... let that sink in. The man is so selfish that even in his mid-40s he refused to give up a T20 slot when he can barely bat.

 

[Forum363]

Malik is the first of many of these ‘I’m fit like Misbah so I can continue until I’m 45 easily’.

 

[hitthestump]

Just hope he never represents Pak national side again. We need to look forward instead of playing 40 year olds. Shoaib can keep playing for various leagues arund the world.

Where have you been for the past 2 years? It's been tried and it didn't work. Batting talent is bankrupt in Pakistan.

It's either Malik and Chacha for the World Cup or we take Asif Ali/Danish Aziz/Khushdil level 'youngsters' who can't hit a ball. Take your pick.

 

[Snowflake]

Absolutely. And his staunch refusal to accept his shortcomings and move aside for the younger players set an incredibly frustrating precedent which we will have to deal with for decades to come.

He did the same thing is PSL almost 10 years later. He played far past his value for Islamabad United and in his final season with them, was a complete passenger and waste of space. IU offered him a management place which he accepted but then at the last second made a deal with PZ and made them pick him in the draft... let that sink in. The man is so selfish that even in his mid-40s he refused to give up a T20 slot when he can barely bat.

Remember how some used to say that without Misbah's "rescue" innings, we wouldn't even cross 230 in an innings? Hmm, how'd that pan out?

Talking about selfishness, you forgot the ultimate one. Sat in the committee to review Mickey's performance, sacked him and then took his job ) classic!

 

[GreenKhan]

Are you kidding?

Misbah’s last T20 match was the decider in a 3match series against England. He came out to bat at 48-2 with Pakistan needing 80 odd runs at 6 an over.... he batted until the final ball, scored 28 from 32 and Pakistan lost by 5 runs. His only boundary in the last 5 overs came from a misfield and he tuktuked us to an epic series loss out of nowhere.

After this he was forcibly shown the door which he complained about but had no choice as he was at least able to continue in ODIs and Tests.

No I am not kidding . That t20 was a bad loss but that was in 2012 and Misbah left the team and never complained.

The fact is a captain for the test side he led by example and averaged over 50 whilst captaining the side . He also had a good one day record .

He was a freak of a nature and performed at the top level into his 40s.

Malik and Hafeez have no class , bonafide failures at the top level .

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Somehow to be desi and retire gracefully is does not mix...cue Sachin, Kapil. VVS, Jayasuruia, ranatunga, yuvi, MSD, mohinder(back in the day who said the selectors were a 'pack of jokers')
compare this to Aus where legends like Ricky Ponting, Hayden, was shown the door once his utility value was over.

 

[daytrader]

Absolutely. And his staunch refusal to accept his shortcomings and move aside for the younger players set an incredibly frustrating precedent which we will have to deal with for decades to come.

He did the same thing is PSL almost 10 years later. He played far past his value for Islamabad United and in his final season with them, was a complete passenger and waste of space. IU offered him a management place which he accepted but then at the last second made a deal with PZ and made them pick him in the draft... let that sink in. The man is so selfish that even in his mid-40s he refused to give up a T20 slot when he can barely bat.

Please don't throw out accusations left right and centre. If Misbah was so selfish, why would he continue playing tests for his country? He could've easily taken the Malik /Hafeez route and given up tests to prolong his t20 career and make more money! Instead he put his body on the line for Pakistan and took us to #1 in tests!

 

[daytrader]

Malik sb itne hi fit ho toh why don't you play tests and odis

 

[daytrader]

Remember how some used to say that without Misbah's "rescue" innings, we wouldn't even cross 230 in an innings? Hmm, how'd that pan out?

Talking about selfishness, you forgot the ultimate one. Sat in the committee to review Mickey's performance, sacked him and then took his job ) classic!

It was a committee, meaning he wasn't the only one deciding. He was selected for the committee and he was selected for the job afterwards. Plus PCB decided to experiment with the dual role of HC/chief selector. MA wouldn't have made the cut for the new role

 

[MenInG]

Everyone is assuming that just because he says he is not retiring, he will be an automatic shoe-in for the WT20 squad.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Would like to see him back for the T20 World Cup. And I don't thing him getting selected is that much of a long-shot either. Sure, he made some irresponsible comments that he shouldn't have made; but (a) Misbah is not chief-selector and (b) if Mohammad Yousuf can work with Misbah despite all the vitriol he has spewed about him over the years, than anyone can work with Misbah.

 

[Manzy2599]

That game was the poetic justice that Misbah's career deserved. He built his career around such innings where he would play the convenient role of an accumulator and leave the risk taking for the other batsman. If the other person failed while trying to accelerate, they'd be thrown under the bus and if they succeeded, Misbah would be given credit alongside for keeping things together. This is the reason why this guy did not score even a single century! He was always looking for someone else to take the initiate while he can play safe till the end of the innings.

In this game, no one else came to the rescue and we saw the true value of his innings. Any other player would kill to be given such a role where you can just go in and play at a strike rate of 70 till the end of the innings. Who wouldn't like that?

This is the most accurate summary of Misbah in odis and t20is. He always did the easy job of “holding one end together” with his poor strike rate which often led to the other batsman taking risks to break the shackels and losing their wickets. Then in the press conferences he’d complain about the team being 10-2 or 15-3 so he had no option but to “tuk tuk”. He’s also the reason players like Ahmed shehzad and Umar akmal never took off. He’d always try change their game by saying play slow and conserve your wicket we’ll make up later but that rarely happened. I remember shehzad especially was a natural stroke player early on and under Misbah he ended up with a strike rate of 70 matching his captain. Why not play positive from the start so you don’t have to make up. Why not rotate the strike with 1s and 2s rather than playing dots or boundaries and then getting out.

And who can forget his famous innings vs India (2007 group match, 2007 final and most important 2011 semi final) where he single handedly lost the match with his batting. At one stage he was 10 off 33!! Why play so defensively/negatively that all the other batsman got out trying to hit with the climbing run rate in a chase of 260 after a good start. Then at the end he started going for it from the 48th over with the tailenders when it was too late. What a strange innings but that was Misbah in odis. We all knew that he had the shots and was good vs spin but I still can’t comprehend that innings cause that was Pakistan’s World Cup and it would have meant so much more being in India. Anyways no point crying over spilt milk but now I am seriously concerned for the next generation of Pakistani cricketers if they have to deal with the Misbah show who seems to have full control of the team. No place for Misbah in any coaching set up in 2021

 

[IMMY69]

Would like to see him back for the T20 World Cup. And I don't thing him getting selected is that much of a long-shot either. Sure, he made some irresponsible comments that he shouldn't have made; but (a) Misbah is not chief-selector and (b) if Mohammad Yousuf can work with Misbah despite all the vitriol he has spewed about him over the years, than anyone can work with Misbah.

Yes but being able to work under a manager and the ability to hold a bat are two different things.

 

[Mamoon]

Shoaib Malik will be good enough for our middle-order even 10 years from now, such is the lack of talent in Pakistan.

The fact that two middling cricketers like Malik and Hafeez - who made their debuts 22 and 18 years ago respectively - still make the team on merit simply exposes the talent deficit in Pakistan.

It is shameful situation. “Pakistan me bohat talent hai” is the biggest lie and the biggest myth that has ever been sold in cricket.

 

[Mamoon]

Over the last 2-3 years, Malik has repeatedly stated that he plans to retire from international cricket after the upcoming WT20.

However, in light of the recent performances of the middle-order, it appears that he has had a change of heart and probably thinks that he can walk into the middle-order for another 3-4 years.

Considering the lack of talent in Pakistan, he is not being delusional at all.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

I thought Pakistan always missed a trick by not playing Malik at No. 3 in ODIs more often, Bob Woolmer used him at 3 with incredible success and surprisingly after Bob, no one played Malik at 3, his most successful position.

May be he was not that well suited lower down the order, may be he could have had a great career at 3. Just a thought.

Well that was his purple patch, when stopped scoring runs and there was a need for him at no.6 he was pushed down the order by BoB himself.
Even when he was the captain he didn’t give a thought about batting at 3.

His technique is not that good to be no3 all round the world. In SENA countries and against short ball he is a walking wicket

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Shoaib Malik will be good enough for our middle-order even 10 years from now, such is the lack of talent in Pakistan.

The fact that two middling cricketers like Malik and Hafeez - who made their debuts 22 and 18 years ago respectively - still make the team on merit simply exposes the talent deficit in Pakistan.

It is shameful situation. “Pakistan me bohat talent hai” is the biggest lie and the biggest myth that has ever been sold in cricket.

If Misbah/Waqar stays as coach or any capacity then yes Malik can walk into
this team.

This is another credit that I would associate with MA, who shut the door for Shehzad, UA who thought that they are above the team and with inconsistent below par peformances.

Made them realise where the belong to. MA took only a year to form the top order with Babar imam and Fakhar. Also moving Babar to open in T20s.

When talents identified , nurtured properly with consistent chances and their spots get filled , these old boys quietly announce retirement

 

[ask_analyse_act]

So he clearly has an issue with Misbah and doesn't want to play under him.
Secondly, he doesn't want to bat anywhere other than no.4.

Both are pretty selfish statements though. Hafeez is also pretty adamant about his batting position as well so I don't think Malik is going to get in.

He does perform well on Asian and slow surfaces and remains one of the better players of spin in Pakistan. Although I would like to have him strictly for the wt20i in India, but statements like these are not going to be healthy for the team atmosphere.

Plus all the veterans and others should realize it's the top 4 of the t20i team that is stacked now with empty no.5-no.8.
All the players vouching to play international cricket should be giving their all to get selected for these 3-4 numbers and work on power hitting, strike rotation and finding gaps to up the ante.

In the past I used to think bad about these old senior boys being selfish to their batting positions but later realised that if they don’t resist to it they will get moved around 1-7 batting positions just like they do for Rizwan, Haider Ali and Maqsood in the past.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Where have you been for the past 2 years? It's been tried and it didn't work. Batting talent is bankrupt in Pakistan.

It's either Malik and Chacha for the World Cup or we take Asif Ali/Danish Aziz/Khushdil level 'youngsters' who can't hit a ball. Take your pick.

Yes tried but Misbah and Wasim both have damaged the trying by playing players of their own likes dislikes and not suitable players.

IMHO khushdhil was coming good who seemed to be like play as a normal batsman and also hit at will.
Also Ifthikar was good at no6 for 20-20s
Misbah made the mockery of sending these two to open in a super over against Zimbabwe and Pak lost it hopelessly

Ifthikar and khushdhil should have been retained and given more chances if their replacements are only asif ali and danish aziz

 

[daytrader]

This is the most accurate summary of Misbah in odis and t20is. He always did the easy job of “holding one end together” with his poor strike rate which often led to the other batsman taking risks to break the shackels and losing their wickets. Then in the press conferences he’d complain about the team being 10-2 or 15-3 so he had no option but to “tuk tuk”. He’s also the reason players like Ahmed shehzad and Umar akmal never took off. He’d always try change their game by saying play slow and conserve your wicket we’ll make up later but that rarely happened. I remember shehzad especially was a natural stroke player early on and under Misbah he ended up with a strike rate of 70 matching his captain. Why not play positive from the start so you don’t have to make up. Why not rotate the strike with 1s and 2s rather than playing dots or boundaries and then getting out.

And who can forget his famous innings vs India (2007 group match, 2007 final and most important 2011 semi final) where he single handedly lost the match with his batting. At one stage he was 10 off 33!! Why play so defensively/negatively that all the other batsman got out trying to hit with the climbing run rate in a chase of 260 after a good start. Then at the end he started going for it from the 48th over with the tailenders when it was too late. What a strange innings but that was Misbah in odis. We all knew that he had the shots and was good vs spin but I still can’t comprehend that innings cause that was Pakistan’s World Cup and it would have meant so much more being in India. Anyways no point crying over spilt milk but now I am seriously concerned for the next generation of Pakistani cricketers if they have to deal with the Misbah show who seems to have full control of the team. No place for Misbah in any coaching set up in 2021

Brother, prior to WC2011, our ODI team was in shambles. We played 23 ODIs from 2010 to the start of WC. Out of those 23, we failed to bat out 50 overs in 12! As you can see 'holding one end together was the need of the hour and Misbah fulfilled that role wonderfully.

The semi final against India wasn't his fault alone, in fact he wasn't even captain. If our lower middle order (Ajmal, Africa, Razzaq) performed that day we could've won.

 

[speed_thrills]

Sub continental cricketers never retire. We endured Sachin and Dhoni last decade. This decade looks like Kohli is going to cost us few LOI trophies.

 

[TheNightWatchman]

Sub continental cricketers never retire. We endured Sachin and Dhoni last decade. This decade looks like Kohli is going to cost us few LOI trophies.

Sachin's was the most forced retirement ever. It was cringeworthy to see what such a great player had become in pursuit of a statistic.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Yes but being able to work under a manager and the ability to hold a bat are two different things.

Malik can't hold a bat but Khushdil, Danish Aziz, Husain Talat, Sharjeel can? Need I remind you why we are even having the conversation of bringing back a 39-40 year old in the first place?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Sub continental cricketers never retire. We endured Sachin and Dhoni last decade. This decade looks like Kohli is going to cost us few LOI trophies.

Indian and Sri Lankan players are still better at this than Pakistani players. The only players from Pakistan that retired with some semblance of respect were Misbah and Younis. And even they were the subject of significant criticism leading upto their retirement series.

 

[speed_thrills]

SriLankans may be, Indians are not.

Anyone who wields iota an iota of influence try to stretch their career as much as possible. There are numerous example, Kapil, Sachin, David, Dhoni and now Kohli.

 

[Varun]

SriLankans may be, Indians are not.

Anyone who wields iota an iota of influence try to stretch their career as much as possible. There are numerous example, Kapil, Sachin, David, Dhoni and now Kohli.

Are you saying Kohli needs to retire now?

 

[Hasan123]

Why does Misbah get dragged into this . At the time Misfah retired from each format he was still a top performer for the team.

Odi- retired after 2015 World Cup . Was Pakistan’s top scorer at the tournament with an average of 50.

Tests. Retired after 2017 test series in West Indies . In that series he averaged 60 plus .

He retired from the t20s in 2012.

He was not a liability on the team and was there on merit . There is no harm In having an older player in the team as long as they are performing.

The likes of Malik and even Hafeez are just an embarrassment now . Mediocre cricketers , have played 10 years more than they should have , yet they still moan and feel there is an agenda against them .

There is no comparison between them and Misbah .

Because of Misbah every player thinks they can play till they are over 40. A lot of our players have said if Misbah can do it, they can do if. He was captain till 42 as well. It has set a bad precedent.

 

[proud_pakistani]

The only thing he can do competently is field. Even the recent successes we have had ie - Champions Trophy he was barely involved. If he comes in its just to make the numbers just like how guys like Danish Aziz or Asif Ali have in recent times. We would be better off picking someone like Sohaib Maqsood who has some experience and also some good hitting abilities.

 

[speed_thrills]

Yes from LOIs atleast. His style of batting is dragging down the team.

In tests, though he is also no longer at his best now but still merit a place due to lack of options and his experience.

 

[IMMY69]

Malik can't hold a bat but Khushdil, Danish Aziz, Husain Talat, Sharjeel can? Need I remind you why we are even having the conversation of bringing back a 39-40 year old in the first place?

None of the players you mentioned can bat apart from Husain Talat whose been picked in the wrong format.
He shouldn't be playing T20's.

However we're talking T20's here and I can name two players who are better than Malik and need to slot in to the side. Imad and Shadab.

The batting lineup should be:-

Fakhar
Babar
Rizwan
Hafeez
Haider
Shadab
Imad
Faheem
Hasan
Shaheen
Hasnain/Rauf

Rarely are you going to be bowled out in twenty overs and this lineup has enough batsmen to hold the innings together.

 

[UzmanBeast]

None of the players you mentioned can bat apart from Husain Talat whose been picked in the wrong format.
He shouldn't be playing T20's.

However we're talking T20's here and I can name two players who are better than Malik and need to slot in to the side. Imad and Shadab.

The batting lineup should be:-

Fakhar
Babar
Rizwan
Hafeez
Haider
Shadab
Imad
Faheem
Hasan
Shaheen
Hasnain/Rauf

Rarely are you going to be bowled out in twenty overs and this lineup has enough batsmen to hold the innings together.

Shadab can't hold a bat at all, that PSL season was a fluke. Have you ever seen him bat against pace? He is always late on the ball and any fast-bowler with a brain can get him out.

Imad on the other hand hasn't batted high enough in T20s, but we know that he is at least a capable batsman down the order.

The fact that you suggest Shadab shows that you haven't paid attention to his form in the last few series, let alone the last few years. He has been awful.

 

[IMMY69]

Shadab can't hold a bat at all, that PSL season was a fluke. Have you ever seen him bat against pace? He is always late on the ball and any fast-bowler with a brain can get him out.

Imad on the other hand hasn't batted high enough in T20s, but we know that he is at least a capable batsman down the order.

The fact that you suggest Shadab shows that you haven't paid attention to his form in the last few series, let alone the last few years. He has been awful.

Shadab imho is underrated as a batsman but if you analyse my eleven he would be the main spinner.
Even without Shadad and say Nawaz or Qadir playing there are still enough batters for a T20 Eleven

 

[UzmanBeast]

Shadab imho is underrated as a batsman but if you analyse my eleven he would be the main spinner.
Even without Shadad and say Nawaz or Qadir playing there are still enough batters for a T20 Eleven

Given how inconsistent our batting lineup can be, I think you'd still need one solid batting option like Sohaib Maqsood.

Imad and Faheem will have to compete with each other for the all-rounder role.

 

[Bewal Express]

We have tried new players and most of them are terrible but I rather have it that way than keep bringing back these losers over and over again.

 

[OMB]

Are you saying Kohli needs to retire now?

this sounds preposterous

 

[Forum363]

No I am not kidding . That t20 was a bad loss but that was in 2012 and Misbah left the team and never complained.

The fact is a captain for the test side he led by example and averaged over 50 whilst captaining the side . He also had a good one day record .

He was a freak of a nature and performed at the top level into his 40s.

Malik and Hafeez have no class , bonafide failures at the top level .

A year after being dropped he performed in a domestic T20s tournament and said he didn’t want to play international T20s anymore. 6 months later in a press conference he said he wanted to ‘revive his T20s career’... at almost 40 years old...

He was a very impressive Batsman to have continued playing like he did into his 40s in TEST cricket. However the issue is he was not suitable for limited overs cricket after 35 and the fact that he has a leech like personality who holds on to things and refuses to let go. He’s selfish and egotistical.

 

[Forum363]

Please don't throw out accusations left right and centre. If Misbah was so selfish, why would he continue playing tests for his country? He could've easily taken the Malik /Hafeez route and given up tests to prolong his t20 career and make more money! Instead he put his body on the line for Pakistan and took us to #1 in tests!

Haha because no international league was interested in having a 40+ Misbah playing for them, while they would still happily pay for Malik who is a specialist in these leagues. Test is the only format which suited his deadbatting style and given he had full authority there as captain due to his past record, he ofcourse stayed playing as long as he could. That in itself is the selfish thing.

Malik was always a rubbish player, but he recognised his limitations and retired from tests to prolong his limited overs career.

 

[IMMY69]

Given how inconsistent our batting lineup can be, I think you'd still need one solid batting option like Sohaib Maqsood.

Imad and Faheem will have to compete with each other for the all-rounder role.

Honestly I think that would be a mistake. Unless he comes in for Haider.

Stats show that teams don't often get bowled out in twenty overs and we're always complaining about having slow batters, low strike rates etc... go with the all rounders and give them the license

 

[speed_thrills]

To fan boys yes and also to some one who is not in sync with modern cricket.

 

[Forum363]

Remember how some used to say that without Misbah's "rescue" innings, we wouldn't even cross 230 in an innings? Hmm, how'd that pan out?

Talking about selfishness, you forgot the ultimate one. Sat in the committee to review Mickey's performance, sacked him and then took his job ) classic!

And the worst thing about that episode is how Misbah came on the record and said very clearly after sacking Mickey and when every single news outlet was reporting that he was becoming the next coach - ‘I have not applied to be the coach and have no intention to do so’.

He also lied in PSL to play an extra season.

So ofcourse the likes of Malik will go back on their word and keep playing on. Misbah has set the precedent.

 

[Ahmed216]

The audacity and the sense of entitlement in these mediocre pak cricketers is incredible

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

None of the players you mentioned can bat apart from Husain Talat whose been picked in the wrong format.
He shouldn't be playing T20's.

However we're talking T20's here and I can name two players who are better than Malik and need to slot in to the side. Imad and Shadab.

The batting lineup should be:-

Fakhar
Babar
Rizwan
Hafeez
Haider
Shadab
Imad
Faheem
Hasan
Shaheen
Hasnain/Rauf

Rarely are you going to be bowled out in twenty overs and this lineup has enough batsmen to hold the innings together.

Just because you like someone doesn't automatically make them a good player. Talat has done nothing in international cricket that has shown he isn't mentally weak and shouldn't be playing in any format. While Haider Ali's failures have shown he is not a reliable batsman to have in the middle-order.

Shadab and Imad are all-rounders, not batsmen. They bat lower down the order at 7 or 8. Whereas, Malik bats till No.6. And don't think I need to remind you that Shadab has been in the worst form of his life recently.

 

[IMMY69]

Just because you like someone doesn't automatically make them a good player. Talat has done nothing in international cricket that has shown he isn't mentally weak and shouldn't be playing in any format. While Haider Ali's failures have shown he is not a reliable batsman to have in the middle-order.

Shadab and Imad are all-rounders, not batsmen. They bat lower down the order at 7 or 8. Whereas, Malik bats till No.6. And don't think I need to remind you that Shadab has been in the worst form of his life recently.

My friend, look at Talat's innings in international T20's going back to the series in South Africa a couple of years ago followed by the games he played in the UAE and then again recently in Pakistan.

The guy showed enough talent to be able to play in the longer format. He's just not a big hitter/slogger but I think he can be a good option in the longer formats.

Imad can bat at 6 and Shadab has enough potential with bat to take the 7 position.

Malik would be a massive step backwards. He was awful at the World Cup anc he's don't nothing of late in any format and at any level. Furthermore, he's been around for 21 years and so one can assume that he's only going to get worse, which I know is really hitting the depths but that's just the ugly truth.

A 40 year old out of form player in a T20 World Cup is just ludicrous. Better to just stick with Abdullah or Haider then and hope one of them has a good game here and there.

 

[hitthestump]

If nothing else this thread will be incredibly bumpable. Malik might be better than what we've got now but he remains a mediocre cricketer.

That being said in India he can do a better job for us than any other youngster can and i back him to come back into the t20 side for the WC.

 

[volcyz]

Seriously speechless how shameless some of these cricketers are.

0 dignity to retire before they have to drag them out

 

[The cricket enthusiast]

Seriously speechless how shameless some of these cricketers are.

0 dignity to retire before they have to drag them out

He has every right to hold his ground here ..
Im ashamed to call *him(asif)even a player but.. seeing players like asif ali , danish, ifti chachu no wonder. .. and don't forget how helpless babar is when it comes to power hitting

 

[shamaan]

If he's only willing to bat at 4 then he should not be part of the squad for the world Cup.I don't think hafeez will move down the order.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

My friend, look at Talat's innings in international T20's going back to the series in South Africa a couple of years ago followed by the games he played in the UAE and then again recently in Pakistan.

The guy showed enough talent to be able to play in the longer format. He's just not a big hitter/slogger but I think he can be a good option in the longer formats.

Imad can bat at 6 and Shadab has enough potential with bat to take the 7 position.

Malik would be a massive step backwards. He was awful at the World Cup anc he's don't nothing of late in any format and at any level. Furthermore, he's been around for 21 years and so one can assume that he's only going to get worse, which I know is really hitting the depths but that's just the ugly truth.

A 40 year old out of form player in a T20 World Cup is just ludicrous. Better to just stick with Abdullah or Haider then and hope one of them has a good game here and there.

I have seen Husain Talat bat numerous times and the biggest takeaway I have taken away from seeing him bat is how mentally weak he is. Whether its his match-losing performance in South Africa 3 years ago or his recent failures its obvious he is not cut out for any format of international cricket. I sincerely hope he never plays another game for Pakistan again.

Malik is not out of form. Go look at his stats in the last 4 years before you say he is out of form. He has been a very consistent performer and did not deserve to be dropped in the first place. Whether the World Cup ends up being in India or UAE, Malik deserves to be there as one of the best players of spin in the world. Just as Hafeez deserves to be there for the same reason. I don't care if both are dropped after the World Cup, but its too important of a tournament to be relying on inexperienced, mentally weak batsmen that balk at the slightest bit of pressure.

 

[Zaz]

I don't care if both are dropped after the World Cup, but its too important of a tournament to be relying on inexperienced, mentally weak batsmen that balk at the slightest bit of pressure.

When have the likes of malik and hafeez and their "experience" stood out in pressure situations against top sides in a big match in the world cup ?

These guys are serial match losers when the stakes are high We saw what the likes of hafeez n malik did in the odi world cup

These guys have been playing for 20 years on the back of padding their stats against medicore teams n always bottle it when the stakes are high and the opposition is tough

If they couldnt do it in their prime they aint gonna do it when theyre on their last legs

 

[GreenKhan]

A year after being dropped he performed in a domestic T20s tournament and said he didn’t want to play international T20s anymore. 6 months later in a press conference he said he wanted to ‘revive his T20s career’... at almost 40 years old...

He was a very impressive Batsman to have continued playing like he did into his 40s in TEST cricket. However the issue is he was not suitable for limited overs cricket after 35 and the fact that he has a leech like personality who holds on to things and refuses to let go. He’s selfish and egotistical.

He never said he wants to play t20 international cricket again , if he did he would have got back into the team .

As for his age he got given the captaincy after the 2011 World Cup . During that period of captaincy he was our top performer in CT13 , scored the most runs out of all players in a calendar year for 2013 and was our top scorer in the 2015 World Cup . Based on that he deserves to be in the one day team regardless of his age.

If he remained in the team or attempted to remain in the team despite having poor performances I would not be backing the guy , but stats and performances don’t lie.

He is the complete opposite to Malik and Hafeez, there is actually no comparison, different pedigree different class .

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

When have the likes of malik and hafeez and their "experience" stood out in pressure situations against top sides in a big match in the world cup ?

These guys are serial match losers when the stakes are high We saw what the likes of hafeez n malik did in the odi world cup

These guys have been playing for 20 years on the back of padding their stats against medicore teams n always bottle it when the stakes are high and the opposition is tough

If they couldnt do it in their prime they aint gonna do it when theyre on their last legs

Read the entire post. Malik has been in very good form in the last four years. He makes the team on merit alone. The same goes for Hafeez. Rather than drudging up old tournaments when both players were clearly not the players they are now with much improved strike-rates, I urge you to look at the numbers instead of projecting whatever bias you may have against them.

Fact of the matter is that we wouldn't even be having this conversation if we actually had some reliable batsmen in the middle-order. But as we all know Pakistan's T20 batting basically ends at No.4.