Saleem Malik Should Get a Chance Like Azhar, Feels Inzamam

Lahore: Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq believes his former teammate Saleem Malik should get a second chance to give something back to Pakistan cricket. Malik was handed a life ban in 2000 by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for match-fixing, which was lifted in 2008 by a Lahore local court.

Calling Malik one of the greatest batsmen ever to play for Pakistan, Inzamam stated he can help young cricketers learn from his vast knowledge of the game.

“It is unfortunate to see that his career ended like that. It should not have ended that way. But I believe he deserves a second innings to do something for the country,” Inzamam said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.

“Like in India, former captain Mohammad Azharuddin was also named once, but he is now the President of the Hyderabad Cricket Association. Similarly, Malik should also be involved in some kind of cricket related activities.”

Putting him in same bracket as Mohammad Yusuf and Babar Azam, Inzamam stated Malik’s batting credentials were second to none while his cricketing acumen was also unmatched.

“The way Mohammad Yusuf used to play, the way Zaheer Abbas used to or the way Babar Azam plays, Malik was also same type of player. He has played more than 100 Tests for Pakistan and scored more than 7000 runs,” he said.

“The new generation might not have seen him play but he was great player. I have never seen someone analyse the game as well as he used to do. He might have been away from the game for more than 10-15 year but he still has a lot to give back.”