"2021 is a big year, so you just never know I might change my mind" : Shoaib Malik

[MenInG]

In an interview with Saj for SkySports, Shoaib Malik spoke about his impressions of Pakistan's young and talented LOI side, playing alongside Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's chances in the 2019 World Cup and the possibility of playing the 2021 World T20 before his retirement.

As a sportsman, how does becoming a parent change you and your outlook on life?

Shoaib: The outlook changes a lot and I can tell you that I already feel a changed person. I have always been a responsible person overall as I lost my father quite early in my life and had to man-up earlier than most boys of my age at the time. The arrival of my son Izhaan has filled a vacuum that I didn’t even know existed. His presence is the arrival of the next generation of my family or perhaps the definition of my life post cricket – I’m not exactly sure yet what it is but there’s an immense level of peace and satisfaction as a human that Izhaan has brought with himself which I have never felt before. I think for any father it is the same feeling, but as a sportsman after playing cricket for myself and my country for over two decades, I have another being to play and live for.


What's it like being a senior member of the vibrant and hugely talented Pakistan side?

Shoaib: In short, it's a lot of fun. And I don't shy away from enjoying every moment of this experience and tell the youngsters in the team to do the same. I have been with the national team long enough to have witnessed and felt the highs and lows of any national side, from winning a World Cup, being ranked No 1 for the longest duration, to lows when team members would not even talk to each other on or off the field. We have worked hard as a unit and we have every right to be the world's No 1 T20 team and we must enjoy and cherish this time with everything we have as things in cricket don't remain the same forever.

Pakistan's Babar Azam has a tremendous work ethic, says Shoaib

Babar Azam just goes from strength to strength, what makes him such a good batsman?

Shoaib: Simply put, it's his word work. He has everything in him that is required to be a world-class batsman. He has all the shots, puts a very high price on his wicket, has no fear of any ball or of any bowler, works very hard off the field, continuously works on his mental strength along with skills and training and is motivated to achieve more. An important aspect of his personality is that he does not get satisfied quickly. Everyone out there wants to be the best batsman in the world but wanting something and working for it like you're obsessed with it are two different things. Babar has made these goals into one.


Haris Sohail has suffered another injury blow. How difficult is it for a sportsman to keep bouncing back from injuries?

Shoaib: It's the most difficult thing for an athlete to bounce back from a serious injury like Haris has had to do in the past and it's almost like starting all over again for him. When I say "almost", I say that because whilst no one can take away the experience one has gained, the fact is that you have to re-train your body and mind and there's always that fear of over-training or being in that situation again and to fight that fear takes a lot of courage. It's like you know you can do better but there's hesitation and that's a constant battle within yourself. I kept in touch with Haris during his earlier rehabilitation when he was out for almost a year and I can tell you that he has a strong head on his shoulders and I have no doubt he will overcome the current injury as well.

Shoaib believes Sohail will fight back from his current injury

We've seen Pakistan struggle in the recent Test series, but how difficult is it for Pakistani batsmen to tour South Africa and are more 'A' tours to South Africa and Australia needed to better prepare for such tours?

Shoaib: We must understand that once you are touring away from home, it makes no difference whether it's to South Africa or India or Australia or Zimbabwe. Yes, more 'A' tours are required for our youngsters to gain experience of the different conditions in different places, so we are better prepared. But in the end, it's all about the preparation. Some conditions, generally which are closer to home conditions, may require less preparation as there are less unknowns to worry about. A good example is how we are very comfortable playing in the UAE and our results show that while we have maintained an overall healthy streak of wins, teams like Australia and England have not always performed to their standards as the conditions are different there for them. That does not make them a weak team or incompetent at any level, but yes, their preparations could have been better. The same goes for us in South Africa. To be honest, there really isn't enough preparation that can be done for foreign tours as we have a pretty young and inexperienced side. But, they have in them what it takes to win series after series, so we just need to be patient and give them time to gain experience of foreign conditions and playing as a unit.


Is there a danger that too much T20 cricket can have a negative effect on the technique of batsmen?

Shoaib: Today batsmen are required to change their format mindset quicker than ever before, but to say that it has a negative effect on their technique is a little over the top. Today's batsmen are able to adapt more quickly, and therefore their techniques are better than ever before and that is primarily driven by the advent of the T20 format. We see that T20s or even T10s as we have seen in the past year are driving total scores of ODIs higher than ever before as batsmen have to find creative ways and develop new shots to score at a respectable strike-rate in T20s, and these skills have extended over to other formats as well. As in the case of David Warner or Virat Kohli or Babar Azam, we see batsmen who play with the same technique across all formats with varying strike rates. Every format requires batsmen to put a high price on their wicket, and that is only possible when the right techniques are in place.


What advice would you give to young upcoming batsmen in Pakistan?

Shoaib: My advice would be the same as what I got from my seniors; put in the hours, work hard off the field and back yourself on the field. You have to understand what the situation and team require from you at the time, as any two games are never the same, and know that expectations of performances never change. Pakistan has produced world-class batsmen in the past and continues to do so today, and will do so in the future as well. However, any upcoming youngster must remember that the hard work always needs to happen at an individual level.


What changes are needed in Pakistan domestic cricket to improve it?

Shoaib: We, as a nation, need to give our domestic cricket and cricketers the attention they deserve. I hear a lot of fans and people in the media suggesting what our cricket Board can do better, or the curators can improve, or that the umpiring levels need to be better. I'm not saying that there is no room for improvement, but the question is what are the rest of the stakeholders doing?

How many fans go to watch our domestic matches during the season? How many journalists interview domestic players and highlight their achievements? How many cricket fans know the domestic team line-ups? How many TV channels and media outlets cover the domestic matches? There was a study I came across recently where a league tournament was crowd-shy early on and the concerned people figured out a plan to get school kids to come to the ground for free to watch the games. As the crowds got bigger and bigger the level of cricket, the innings scores, and individual performances improved.

This notion of following only the high-profile series and expecting our national team to win all games and every player to perform in every game without their support during the process is a mindset that needs to change. In addition, ex-cricketers should give their attention and time to our domestic scene rather than just talking about the national team on television. Schools, private or government, should make it mandatory for students to play a sport as well. Let's change this, and everything else will come together.


Is T10 the future of cricket?

Shoaib: T10 cricket is definitely a lot of fun and is very much the present face of cricket. It also happens to be our only chance to make cricket an Olympic sport, so yes T10 does hold something big to look forward to for cricketers and cricket fans. With two successful seasons of the T10 League under our belts, and seeing others adapt to the format only means that T10 is here to stay and I love the adrenaline T10 brings.


Are you looking forward to being reunited with Shahid Afridi, this time at PSL 4?

Shoaib: Oh yes! He was also a team mate recently in the BPL with Comilla Victorians and I have played alongside him in other teams in the past too. Afridi is still playing solid cricket and as a former national team mate and captain of Multan, I'm happy for him to be in our team as he is one of the very few players out there who can single-handedly change the game with their bowling and or batting and sometimes even with their fielding.

Shahid Afridi celebrates in the T10 League while playing for Pakhtoons

Your thoughts on the Multan Sultans squad assembled for the next edition of the Pakistan Super League?

Shoaib: We are a solid team yes and cover all the key roles with some of Pakistan's and world cricket's best, but I don't want to say too much at this time. Losing Steve Smith is a huge loss and we have to figure out how to tackle that loss. Hopefully, we will have more to talk about this subject on March 17th after the PSL final happens.


How do you see Pakistan's chances of winning the 2019 World Cup?

Shoaib: I feel we have a very good chance to win the tournament. But then having a 'good chance' doesn't mean much. How we play each game and how we perform against the rest of the world will define how far we go. Yes, we have the ability to win the World Cup hands-down, but abilities don't win you anything, performances do. Our capabilities include having top ODI bowlers and batsmen in our line-up and personally I'm looking forward to a memorable World Cup 2019.


Looking back at your career, would you have done anything differently?

Shoaib: I don't have any regrets. But yes, I could have done some things differently like perhaps trained like I do now when I was 20, or declined the captaincy offer in 2008, or spent more time gaining knowledge from the legends I played with when I joined the national side. All said and done, I am who I am based on whatever has happened in my past but as they say, hindsight is always 20/20 and I am sure that there's always something that one could have done better in the past.


Your fitness levels are still very good, is there any chance that you will change your mind about retiring after the World T20 in 2020?

Shoaib: My decision to retire is not necessarily connected to my fitness levels, though that is one of the inputs that I will take into account. The main point is that I want to be valuable to my country till the last game I play. I also need to catch up with my work-life balance and spend time with my family. At this time, I have no plans to change my mind, but as we all know 2021 is also a big year for my favourite format, T20 when we will have another World T20 - so you just never know!

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/ne...edium=referral

[Abdullah]

Blood hell, T20 is his favourite format. Just what our youngsta beauties need to hear from the senior

[Visaal-E-Yaar]

Great interview very nice to see some senior player talking about young lads and more 'A' tours.

[pakistani pride]

Blood hell, T20 is his favourite format. Just what our youngsta beauties need to hear from the senior

Cant fault him. Basically thats his level. Lets hope he retires from 50 overs post WC. These guys are blocking young players!

[Snak3eye5]

I allways look back and think that had he not declined 2008 captaincy he would have been a formidable captain in the mould of Dhoni or Imran. Virat and Dhoni were in their early 20’s when they became captain. If only the culture would go away from this myth that you have to be really old and senior to be a captain. Pakistan cricket team would be a much different team today.

[rhony]

Only one word comes to mind. 'Experience'.
Not clutch, not hardworking, not talented.
A pseudo AR with very limited strokes and impact in the team. Should be forced out after the WC

[hafizexpress]

Great take on domestic cricket. The fans and the media should show more love and attention to domestic cricket for it to flourish.

[Chokli]

Cant fault him. Basically thats his level. Lets hope he retires from 50 overs post WC. These guys are blocking young players!

He's already said he's retiring from ODIs after the World Cup

[Chokli]

I allways look back and think that had he not declined 2008 captaincy he would have been a formidable captain in the mould of Dhoni or Imran. Virat and Dhoni were in their early 20’s when they became captain. If only the culture would go away from this myth that you have to be really old and senior to be a captain. Pakistan cricket team would be a much different team today.

What're you talking about? He never declined captaincy in 2008?

He was captain after the 2007 World Cup and was removed after we lost to Sri Lanka at home at the beginning of 2009.

We lost the ODI series 2-1 after losing by 230 odd runs, we were bowled out for 75.

After he was removed he lost all his confidence that didn't come back until 2015.

He should not have been removed in 2009

[Gabbar Singh]

Is there a danger that too much T20 cricket can have a negative effect on the technique of batsmen?

Shoaib: Today batsmen are required to change their format mindset quicker than ever before, but to say that it has a negative effect on their technique is a little over the top. Today's batsmen are able to adapt more quickly, and therefore their techniques are better than ever before and that is primarily driven by the advent of the T20 format. We see that T20s or even T10s as we have seen in the past year are driving total scores of ODIs higher than ever before as batsmen have to find creative ways and develop new shots to score at a respectable strike-rate in T20s, and these skills have extended over to other formats as well. As in the case of David Warner or Virat Kohli or Babar Azam, we see batsmen who play with the same technique across all formats with varying strike rates. Every format requires batsmen to put a high price on their wicket, and that is only possible when the right techniques are in place.

Anyone here actually agree with this?

[hadi123]

Wait, there's a world T20 in 2020 AND 2021?

[Hasan123]

Sensible comments. Don't think he is good enough anymore. I hope he is ditched in all formats after 2019 WC.

[ManFan]

Anyone here actually agree with this?

Partly.

They have gained in arsenal but lost in patience.

[Chokli]

Wait, there's a world T20 in 2020 AND 2021?

yup 2016 to 2020 and then 2021.

if that's not stupidity at it's finest then i don't know what is.

should have kept it to every 2 years... can't believe we never had one in 2018.

[the_game]

Blood hell, T20 is his favourite format. Just what our youngsta beauties need to hear from the senior

That's because he isn't good enough for any other format sadly. Don't think our '' juniors'' should be taking any sort of inspiration from him except for his fitness level and fielding which is still fantastic at this age.

[gazza619]

Nice interview. Malik was always captaincy material but did not have total faith in his own abilities. Hence he failed as a captain.

He is the best player of spin in my opinion. I know we make fun of his weakness against extreme pace but I feel he can play pace, he just needs to back himself and be a bit more aggressive.

[volcyz]

Too much groupings destroyed his captaincy

[aukhan]

He was the best limited overs captain in the last 15 years. Yousuf and Afridi's greed has damaged us big time.

[BunnyRabbit]

Agree with him on a lot of points.
But regarding him saying that fans don't come to watch domestic matches, some of the domestic matches are played in stadia where no audience is allowed. 2-3 months ago I went to watch a SNGPL's match in Rawalpindi, after a lot of requests to the stadium incharge, they told me we can see that you really want to see the match but we have strict protocols to follow and higher ups to answer to, and we can not allow people to go in the stadium to watch the match.
Why even hold a match in a place where people can't go to see?
PCB needs to answer that.

[MenInG]

I do wish he would bowl more but seems not trusted for that by the captain?

[Pete Rose]

I do wish he would bowl more but seems not trusted for that by the captain?

He really shouldnt be in the team, and by not letting him bowl, the captain is making it clear.

[asfandyar]

Sarfraz is in hot waters for his racial remarks (may receive a ban; was a specialist captain), and PCB are not ambitious enough to try a new captain in Babar or Fakhar.

We have a decent team, and the most competitive since 2003's world cup (provided Haris recovers and Rizwan comes in for Sarfraz). Is this the golden moment for Malik to shine?

[arehaan]

Malik is barely holding onto his position in the team especially when it comes to overseas conditions. He is simply pathetic against pacers and everyone knows it now.

[Haroon786]

Wait, there's a world T20 in 2020 AND 2021?

Same happened in 2009/2010 which cut Pakistan's hold of the WT20 short by a year due to the 2011 WC, though that didn't make much sense as 2007 had the WC and the WT20 both in the same year. Though, thinking back, it could have been due to the Asia Cup which was held in 2008 and is played every 2 years.

[Chokli]

Nice interview. Malik was always captaincy material but did not have total faith in his own abilities. Hence he failed as a captain.

He is the best player of spin in my opinion. I know we make fun of his weakness against extreme pace but I feel he can play pace, he just needs to back himself and be a bit more aggressive.

he never failed at captaincy..

the seniority culture ruined him and they never accepted him as their captain.

he was removed after we lost the series to sri lanka 1-2 in pakistan

we lost the 3rd odi by 234 runs, 75 all out

[Napa]

I allways look back and think that had he not declined 2008 captaincy he would have been a formidable captain in the mould of Dhoni or Imran.

I do think among Pakistani players he he has the best personality for being a captain (based on my limited knowledge).

[Pete Rose]

I do think among Pakistani players he he has the best personality for being a captain (based on my limited knowledge).

he is a smart guy....but i feel just too old for the international game. would make a good coach though.

[Napa]

he is a smart guy....but i feel just too old for the international game. would make a good coach though.

He seemed to be a stable guy who went about his work without creating a fuss and with a calm demeanor. The characteristics you need in a good captain, but like you said, he is probably too old now.

[Greenstorm]

He should have taken retirement by now. We do not need him.

[Hyperion66]

Sarfraz set the bar so low anyone would look good as a captain, PCB should look at the bigger picture and appointment someone fresh and young like Imam or Shadab as captain.

[Hyperion66]

There is something about Pak seniors, they all seem to get better with age. Younis, Misbah, Malik ,Hafeez to name a few.

[Hasan123]

Malik is struggling against a South African attack not at full strength. Not good signs.

A lot of teams will play 4 seamers in the WC. So he may not get a chance to spin bash.

[waqar goraya]

If Shoaib does not score handsomely in next few games, selectors might change their mind.

[waqar goraya]

He has not been able to score a fifty on this tour in 3 innings , could not score a fifty in 5 innings in New Zealand in early 2018, could not reach even a 20 in 4 innings of Champions Trophy. The last time he scored 50 or more outside Asia was his 101 in West Indies , April 2017 !

Can he do better next time in England , during World Cup? The history suggests the chances are almost none.

[Napa]

I do think among Pakistani players he he has the best personality for being a captain (based on my limited knowledge).

Did a good job as a captain today. I don't think Sarfaraz's constant yelling at players does the team any good.

[ibraham]

Pakistan need a young and hardworking captain now,only experience player will not work need hard work.

[Stewie]

Dude is ramiz raja of this generation.. mediocre but had a long career. Ramiz had more talent though!

[Destroyer88]

Ohh bhai please dont

[ShahidNaziir]

If Shoaib Malik plays into the 2021, then won't he be the only ever international player to have played cricket over 4 decades (90s, 00s, 10s, 20s)

[JibranAnsari]

If Shoaib Malik plays into the 2021, then won't he be the only ever international player to have played cricket over 4 decades (90s, 00s, 10s, 20s)

Sachin tendulker says hi.

From lates 80s to early 2010s

[JibranAnsari]

If Shoaib Malik plays into the 2021, then won't he be the only ever international player to have played cricket over 4 decades (90s, 00s, 10s, 20s)

Jayasuria too.

[Saj]

Should he delay his retirement and play in next year's T20 World Cup?

[Pete Rose]

Should he delay his retirement and play in next year's T20 World Cup?

No. He is a liability as a batsmen when having to play situations that require more than 6 an over against the better attacks.

[Nikhil_cric]

If Shoaib Malik plays into the 2021, then won't he be the only ever international player to have played cricket over 4 decades (90s, 00s, 10s, 20s)

Tendulkar , Jayasuriya also did the same .

[Greenstorm]

This pitch is ideal for Malik but still he did nothing. And he is planning for 2021, God help us

[Boi]

Why is 2021 a big year?

[waleed88]

All of this sounds beautiful as long as you are not the captain. He's been pathetic as a player and his captaincy is nothing home to remind about

[waleed88]

Nice interview. Malik was always captaincy material but did not have total faith in his own abilities. Hence he failed as a captain.

He is the best player of spin in my opinion. I know we make fun of his weakness against extreme pace but I feel he can play pace, he just needs to back himself and be a bit more aggressive.

[TeymurBlake]

God If we have this player until 2021, God Help Us All. Might as well disband our Cricket team.

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Masha Allah pakistan will be lucky to have services of this legend in 2021.

Hate selfishness.

Why is everybody trying to go Misbah and Afridi's unless they arent kicked out?

[Mueez]

Please retire.

You have been a great servant for Pakistan Cricket but your time is up.

Please retire gracefully.

[Markhor]

Retire or be forced into retirement.

[Cric1234]

2019 is also a good year April 2019 can be a happy month to retire from international cricket.

[pakistan cricket fan]

All of this sounds beautiful as long as you are not the captain. He's been pathetic as a player and his captaincy is nothing home to remind about

People need two see the Multan Sultan under the great Shoaib Malik and he is captain of national team

[pakistan cricket fan]

Oh men he want to play 2 more years my god save PCT.

[Plumb]

Yes players are bigger than country/Management and everything... Malik Sahab can do whatever he wants and for this matter any player... If you have the right connection

[PakLFC]

Afridi is gonna think I retired to early. Every two years we have a T20 WC or a 50 over one so Shoaib's reason doesn't make sense. He is not that great a player who should keep extending his career.

[Ami]

2019 World Cup
2020 T20 World Cup in Aus
2021...wait for it....another T20 World Cup in India.

...so I think he wants to continue the misery along with Hafeez..

Ya Allah Khair!

[Zeeraq]

Shoaib Malik's World Cup bowling:

1st wicket 17th March 2007
2nd wicket 3rd June 2019 #CWC19 #ENGvPAK

— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) June 3, 2019

[The Viper]

Bowled well and provided a crucial scalp of Stokes. His bowling is pretty underutilized.

[Hawkeye]

Shoaib Malik - probably the most undeserving guy to play 20 years for any international cricket team.

Many greats fell and saw their downfall in the last 20 years. But Shoaib Malik always found a way to sneak into the national team.

This is enough.

After retiring from ODIs, he's now saying that his focus is on T20s.

If PAK cricket has any shame and integrity left, Shoaib Malik should be discarded ASAP from all forms of international cricket.

It will be a moment of extreme shame for all of us if he's able to find a way into the World T20 team as well next year.

[CleverSir]

Realistically, he shouldn't play again for Pakistan. EVER. He checked out mentally early in this WC. Cannot carry dead weight into the future.

[Hasan123]

He should not go to the World T20. He isn’t good enough anymore.

[Markhor]

When will the torture end ?

[Hawkeye]

When will the torture end ?

Doesn't look like it's ending. His PR team is in full swing.

If Ehsan Mani can't stop him from getting into World T20, nobody can.

[Plumb]

He will play.. he will draw the last drop of the blood from pak cricket..if he doesn't get selected then you can say that pak cricket is moving towards improvement.

[farazaidi]

I really hope and pray he never dons the green shirt again. His captaincy comment at the press conference shows what a douche bag he really is

[Rayyman]

What is the preparation for the WT20

Who gets in the team

Fakhar, Babar, Haris, Sarfraz, Asif, Imad, Faheem, Amir and Shadab

These 9 players should be locks.

Need 4 pacers at least. Aside from Faheem and Amir, I will go with Wahab and either Hasnain or Shaheen. That's 11.

Akmal had a good PSL. His poor ODI performance shouldn't affect this. He should be in the T20 side. Ahsan and Nawaz had good PSLs also. But hopefully they won't have to play.

Fakhar Zaman
Babar Azam
Haris Sohail
Sarfraz Ahmed*+
Asif Ali
Imad Wasim
Faheem Ashraf
Wahab Riaz
Shadab Khan
Mohammad Amir
Shaheen Shah Afridi
-----------------------------------
Mohammad Nawaz
Umar Akmal
Mohammad Hasnain
Ahsan Ali

Some notable emissions: Hasan, Shinwari (poor form); Malik, Hafeez (age).

[Prince of Pakistan]

Do Mickey and co want that? Malik looked important for the dressing room. He was the one motivating everyone after the India thrashing.

[miandadrules]

Do Mickey and co want that? Malik looked important for the dressing room. He was the one motivating everyone after the India thrashing.

He did a great job!

I was really motivated when I saw him play on to his stumps.

It worked so well that he decided to give the team super motivation by doing it again in the very next match!

I’m motivated just thinking about it.

[Prince of Pakistan]

He did a great job!

I was really motivated when I saw him play on to his stumps.

It worked so well that he decided to give the team super motivation by doing it again in the very next match!

I’m motivated just thinking about it.

Haha good one! But yea he was seen giving guidance to Babar and co.

Malik has no place but the management may want to keep him for his experience for these young lot.

[Plumb]

He did a great job!

I was really motivated when I saw him play on to his stumps.

It worked so well that he decided to give the team super motivation by doing it again in the very next match!

I’m motivated just thinking about it.

so much motivation....even Imam tried to replicate it in bangla game.

[miandadrules]

Haha good one! But yea he was seen giving guidance to Babar and co.

Malik has no place but the management may want to keep him for his experience for these young lot.

Unless “experience for these young lot” is a euphemism for greasing palms, I don’t know of this experience you speak off.

Experience of what exactly? Failing?

[miandadrules]

so much motivation....even Imam tried to replicate it in bangla game.

Because he lacked the required motivation.

[andy0204]

looks like malik is pakistans dhoni giving tips just like dhoni gives

[Prince of Pakistan]

Unless “experience for these young lot” is a euphemism for greasing palms, I don’t know of this experience you speak off.

Experience of what exactly? Failing?

He was just seen talking a lot to the boys and also some the lads have credited him for lifting them up after the India thrashing when everyone was down and out.

Malik is done, but you never know with the PCB. They are obsessed with experience.

[MenInG]

He is very much in the running for the T20 World Cup side!

[iRfaN_LA]

He is very much in the running for the T20 World Cup side!

He can perform all he wants in these leagues. His general attitude toward the game is poor, shows lack of energy and interest. This guy should never be back in the team.

[sweep_shot]

I think Shoaib is finished in international cricket. It is one thing to do well in CPL and another thing to do well in international cricket.

[Cricketrenew]

He may change his mind and play.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO