Shoaib Malik
Flickr photo by Rajiv Srivatsa shared under a Creative Commons (BY 2.0) license.

Shoaib Malik: Pakistan’s last man standing

Mustafa Ismail·
One Day International (ODI)
·0 Comments·

Shoaib Malik was Pakistan’s most consistent player in the Asia Cup and will play a major role for his side during the World Cup next year…

At the age of 36, Shoaib Malik is not only Pakistan’s most seasoned cricketer at the moment, but also the most important player the country possesses. His experience in all departments is evidently invaluable. We saw in the recently concluded Asia Cup that despite poor performances by the Pakistani team, he was consistently scoring runs. He utilised his grit in tough batting conditions, where the ball was turning and coming on slowly to the bat, to help his side post decent totals.

Shoaib showed his maturity and class against Afghanistan, when his 51 off 43 balls was the sole reason why Pakistan crossed the line in the last over. In that particular innings, Malik came in just when Pakistan had lost crucial wickets as the well-settled Babar Azam and Imam ul Haq had both departed. At the same time, Afghani spin-king, Rashid Khan, was on song as he was getting the ball to rip and regularly beat the bat. Shoaib Malik remained unfazed with the uncertainty around him, knowing that if he took this game till the last over, his side would be favourites to win. He assumed responsibility and rotated the strike exceptionally, seemingly as quick as lightning while running between the wickets. In the end, he brought the equation down to 10 runs off the last over – and eventually nabbed a crucial win for his side.

Afghanistan played magnificently and their spinners bowled brilliantly, but Malik’s experience proved to be a roadblock for them. The former Pakistani skipper knew exactly how to handle pressure situations, something that Afghanistan will learn as they play more international cricket. Even against India, when the other batsman were losing out to the spinners or playing rash shots to the fast bowlers, it was Malik who was composed. After setting himself up with quick singles, he then launched into the attack, hitting the boundaries after getting his eye in. Shoaib manoeuvred Kuldeep and Chahal particularly well, using his feet and getting to the pitch of the ball. He wasn’t just swinging blindly and his mastery of spin bowling was on display. Unfortunately, he did not get the required support from the other batsmen – which proved to be detrimental to Pakistan’s shortcomings in the Asia Cup.

The 2019 World Cup may well and truly be Shoaib Malik’s last tournament in green. After serving the country for almost twenty years, it would be fitting if he can, with the support of his teammates, lift the World Cup for his country. One of the key aspects of Shoaib’s success is his fitness. If you were to put him next to the likes of Imam ul Haq and Babar Azam, you wouldn’t be able to pick the eldest of the three. It’s the secret behind his consistency for his side, allowing him to play high-quality cricket for such a long period of time.

For the World Cup, Shoaib’s role will be crucial. He will add stability to the middle-order and will help his side clinch those crucial moments in pressure situations. The field also benefits from his presence, with his right-arm off-spin and his athletic fielding proving extremely useful. Sarfraz, the captain, will also depend on Shoaib to pass on advice and use his experience when the going gets tough. Maybe Shoaib’s recent performances will signal to selectors that other experienced players like Hafeez and Azhar Ali also deserve to be in the running. After all, it is important to have the right blend of experience and youth in the eventual World Cup squad. Fakhar Zaman, Asif Ali and Imam ul Haq will give you the fireworks, but stability is needed in certain situations to ensure that your team lands on the winning side.

Malik is not the most flamboyant batsman, but the simplicity of his batting and his energy on the field are fascinating to watch. Whenever he was batting, you would feel this sense of calm regardless of who you were supporting. It was lovely to watch him build his innings and play his shots with absolute poise. Hopefully, for Pakistani fans and neutrals alike, he will carry this form into the World Cup – because who wouldn’t want to see a couple of Shoaib Malik hundreds in England next year?