New Delhi:
Pakistan batsman Shoaib Malik on Friday announced his retirement from one-day cricket. This came after Pakistan was ousted by New Zealand on net run-rate despite finishing level on 11 points after nine matches. Speaking after Pakistan’s 94-run victory over Bangladesh at Lord’s, Shoaib said, “Yes, I wanted to help my team win the World Cup as a senior but at times things don’t go the way you think and that’s part and parcel of cricket."
"I’m sad that I’ll be leaving the format of cricket that I once loved,” Malik said. “But happy that I’ll be spending more time with my family. “I would like to thank some of the most important people who’ve supported me through these 20 years of international cricket, starting with the players I shared dressing rooms with, the coaches I played under, my friends and family, the media, my sponsors, the Pakistan cricket board and sports board.
“But most importantly, my fans, I love you all.
“If you go through the whole thing, sometimes you perform and sometimes you don’t. But of course (the World Cup) is a big platform and expectations were high. “If you don’t perform, that’s life and life never stop. I’m really satisfied with my ODI career.”
Malik appeared in 287 one-day internationals and scored 7,534 runs with nine hundreds.
His last appearance came in the defeat against arch rivals India in Manchester on June 16.
As an off-spinner he finished with 158 wickets, while he also captained Pakistan in 41 ODIs.
Calling his career satisfying, Malik said, “I never thought that I will play 20 years for Pakistan but when you play with hard work and honesty you achieve the best and that happened with me.
“I am satisfied with my ODI career and winning the Champions Trophy has been the highlight of my ODI career,” he added of Pakistan’s triumph in England two years ago.
