Babar asked selectors to drop Malik for West Indies series
By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 06 Jan 2023
It was Babar Azam’s decision and not the selectors’ to drop veteran batter, Shoaib Malik, from Pakistan’s upcoming T20 and One-day International series against West Indies.
According to sources, the national team selection committee, headed by Mohammad Wasim, and the team management, wanted to go with the same squad that featured in Pakistan’s 3-0 T20I series triumph against Bangladesh.
Babar, however, told the team management that he wanted to test emerging players in what will be a full-fledged white ball series against a decent Carribbean side.
The skipper asked the selectors to rest veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed and pacer Hassan Ali along Malik for the three T20Is and as many ODIs scheduled for December in Karachi.
Sources further revealed that Babar, in a conversation with Malik, told the 39-year-old, that he will look up to him again in a “bigger” series.
Pakistan play their first T20I against the West Indies on December 13 at the National Stadium.
The national team has been carrying the likes of Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Qadir, Khushdil Shah and Haider Ali since the T20 World Cup.
None of them however played during the event, of which Pakistan reached the semi-finals before losing out to eventual champions Australia.