Shoaib Malik calls it quits, to retire after 2019 World Cup

Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has confirmed that the upcoming ODI World Cup in England, next year, will be his last assignment in One-Day cricket.

Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has confirmed that the upcoming ODI World Cup in England, next year, will be his last assignment in One-Day cricket.

The retirement plans of Malik, who made his debut way back in 1999, came out in public earlier this year and the Pakistan all-rounder has only confirmed the news now.

"The 2019 World Cup is my last event of the 50-over cricket," Malik said. "I will try to play T20 cricket if I continue to stay fit and put up performances." Malik made his retirement plans public in a press conference at Lahore ahead of Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe for the tri-nation T20I tournament involving Australia followed by a five-match ODI series against hosts Zimbabwe.

However, Malik cleared it out that he would still continue plying his trade in T20 cricket for Pakistan.

Malik had announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2015 and since then has been concentrating only in white ball cricket.

Malik, who has already won the T20 World Cup(2009) and Champions Trophy (2017),  wants to retire on a high by winning the ODI World Cup.

"I have made some for myself. We have already won two big events: the World T20 [in 2009] and the Champions Trophy [in 2017]. The only thing left in my career [to win] is that 50-over World Cup. That is the thing I am looking at which makes me work hard. I have big hopes from these youngsters and myself. We are going to give our best."

The former Pakistan captain has scored 6975 runs at an average of 35.22 with the help of nine 100s and 41 fifties and has taken 154 wickets at 38.65 runs per wicket.