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As per reports, former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik is set to return to Pakistan squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. The tournament is set to start on 27 August in the UAE. Malik last played for the Pakistani national team in a T20I on 21 November 2021 against Bangladesh in Mirpur.
Pakistan won that match with eight wickets as they had to chase a target of 109. Before that, he also was part of the Pakistan T20 World Cup squad which had an incredible run before losing in the semi-finals against eventual champions Australia. He scored only 101 runs in the tournament and had one game-changing knock of 54 in 18 balls against Scotland.
Recently, Shoaib Malik was named as one of the team mentors for the inaugural six-team Pakistan Junior League, which will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium here between 4-17 October.
Malik will be joined by fellow international players like Darren Sammy, Shahid Afridi, Colin Munro and Imran Tahir. The list of mentors was released last month named by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) with Tahir and Munro being the latest mentors announced. The board is also set to appoint a sixth team mentor in due course, according to PCB. After the team-naming rights are confirmed, these international stars will be allocated sides.
Addressing his appointment as a mentor, Imran Tahir expressed elation as he got a chance to contribute to the country of his birth. "Returning to Lahore for the Pakistan Junior League in a team mentor's role is one of my most satisfying achievements as I still owe a lot to my country of birth. This is an exciting opportunity to work with emerging slow bowlers and help them develop and flourish so that they have a chance to emulate the great spinners this country has produced," said Tahir.
"I am fully behind the philosophy of Pakistan Junior League as this creates a tough and challenging environment for the players with high expectations, and only those who will clear this scale will go leaps and bounds in their careers. With the amount of international cricket being played, this event will help Pakistan to amplify their pool of players, which, in turn, will increase playing opportunities and earning the prized national cap," he added.