Veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik on Friday said that he had no plans to retire in the near future and that it was his “right to retire when he pleased”.
The 38-year-old cricketer, in a press conference, said that his physical fitness was up to the mark and he did not think he needed to call it quits anytime soon.
“Every athlete has the right to retire whenever he pleases as he is aware when he can no longer play his part,” he said.
“I have no plans of retirement; I’m playing leagues and I’m fit in all aspects.”
When asked about his plans for this year’s ICC T-20I World Cup, Malik said that he would take the decision at a later time.
“With regards to international cricket, I’ll think about it when the T-20 World Cup will be near.”
“The World Cup is still far off and I think right now my focus is on the Pakistan Super League and coming matches for Pakistan. When I get closer to the World Cup I will see what to do,” Mailk told reporters. “I will have to see my fitness and position in the national side closer to the World Cup than I will take a decision on final retirement,” he added. Malik has played as many as 113 games for Pakistan in the shortest format.
The 38-year-old has already called it quits with the longest and the 50-over format of the game. The former Pakistan skipper played 35 Tests and 287 One-day Internationals for the Green Army. After Pakistan’s failure to qualify for the knockout stage of the 2019 spectacle, Malik announced his retirement from the 50-over format and is only available for the T20 mix for the Babar Azam-led side.
