Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, who is struggling to make a comeback in the national team, has been seen playing local cricket in the Indian city of New Delhi.
The flamboyant all-rounder is in India these days after marrying Indian tennis star Sania Mirza. Malik has also represented Delhi Daredevils in the inaugural edition of the lucrative Indian Premier League.
While playing a local Twenty20 game for the Turf Cricket Academy Pitampura, the Pakistani all-rounder played an instrumental role in his team’s comprehensive victory. Malik smashed an unbeaten innings of 123 runs from just 57 balls with the help of 6 fours and 10 sixes.
“I haven’t held the bat for almost 25 days now, have been busy with some other commitments so it felt good to score some runs. It’s a nice experience, especially with the kind of competitiveness you have in club cricket here,” Malik said.
Malik opted to participate in the game when he and his wife reached New Delhi for attending a function. The all-rounder borrowed the bat from one of his teammates and smacked a fantastic knock. At the end of the game, the host player gifted the same bat to Malik for pleasant memories of the contest.
“Match practice is the best and back home in Pakistan; it’s difficult to gather net bowlers for practice, even at the academy. Good bowlers are usually busy playing matches and it had been quite some time I spent in Delhi, and whenever friend call me, I come and play,” the Sialkot-born cricketer added.
Malik has served Pakistan in 192 One Day Internationals in which he scored 5,188 runs at an average of 34.35. The all-rounder has an exceptional record against India, as he has an average of over 50 in 33 games against them.
When asked about Pak-India cricketing ties, the blistering batsman described that politics had stopped the dialogue progress between the two countries but through cricket, the two neighbours can get together once again.
Malik further spelled out that he was not upset or frustrated for not being selected for the national team. He vowed that he would give his one hundred percent whenever he is given a chance to represent the country.
