Former Pakistan captain and veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik has on Friday (April 30) made it clear that he has no plans of taking retirement from the game at the moment and he has not even thought about the same yet, saying he still is very fit to continue playing for his nation.
The 39-year-old, who has already retired from ODI and Test cricket, has been out of Pakistan’s T20I team from last year, but is playing franchise cricket globally including Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021.
The all-rounder has insisted that he is happy to contribute to the Pakistan team with the bat, the ball, or in the field while revealing he has signed up with some leagues for two years.
The 39-year-old has also mentioned that he can still save runs in the field apart from bowling and batting for the national team so his age shouldn’t be an issue for his captain since he is very fit.
According to the Press Trust of India, Shoaib said: “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. 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.”
Malik concluded, “I have recently signed two-year contracts in some leagues so where does the question of me taking retirement after the World Cup arise.”
Noteworthy, he played in 35 Tests and 287 one-day internationals for Pakistan, while he has also featured in 116 T20 internationals for his country so far.
(With PTI Inputs)
