KNZ NEWS DESK
New Delhi, July 06:Veteran Pakistan allrounder Shoaib Malik on Friday announced his retirement from ODI format after the side pulled off a 94-run victory over Bangladesh. The 37-year-old, who did not feature in the game, was given a standing ovation by all the Pakistan players as he left the ground after the celebrations. Calling time on his 20-year-long career, Malik said: “I’ve said earlier that I’d retire from ODIs after the World Cup. I’m here to announce that today. Thanks to my fans who’ve supported me, I love them all.”
Malik made his ODI debut in 1999 against West Indies. Since then, he went on to play 287 ODIs for Pakistan in which he hammered 7,534 runs which included 9 tons and 44 fifties. The allrounder also picked 158 wickets during his career.
The right-handed batsman has also played 35 Tests in which he has scored 1,898 runs with 3 hundreds and 8 fifties. He has also played 111 T20Is for the side in which he has scored 2,263 runs which include 7 fifty-plus scores.
Pakistan thumped Bangladesh by 94 runs in their last World Cup group match on Friday but suffered a painful exit as New Zealand pipped them to a semi-final place on net run-rate. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s team needed to smash the world record for margin of victory in a one-day international but a miracle win never looked remotely likely at a sun-drenched Lord’s.
Pakistan’s total of 315 for nine meant Bangladesh needed only eight runs to end the 1992 world champions’ hopes of advancing to the semi-finals.
(With Agencies inputs)
