Former New Zealand cricketer is not happy with last-minute exclusion of Shoaib Malik and playing him with Mohammad Hafeez in the name of experience in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Doull had a few harsh words for Pakistan’s two experienced campaigners ahead of their first match against India at Dubai International Cricket stadium.
"Babar and Mohammad Rizwan at the top. Fakhar Zaman at three; Hafeez and Haider Ali. I don't think they can play Hafeez and Shoaib Malik together. You don't need an 80-year-old running around in two people. That can't happen. I don't think they can play two 40-year-olds on the same team so I will go with Hafeez and Haider Ali. [Then] Asif Ali, Imad Wasim definitely then Shadab, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi,” Doull told Cricbuzz while choosing his playing XI for Babar Azam-led team.
Malik was a last-minute inclusion in the Pakistan squad after Sohaib Maqsood was ruled out due to injury. The 39-year-old is likely to feature in the Pakistan side against India in the middle order.
"I watched them both in the CPL and, I mean, I have got to say Shoaib Malik was really bad. Really bad. Eyes were gone, [he was] really struggling. I know he had one really good innings in the [National T20 cup] but I just watched him enough in the CPL to think I just couldn't have the two of them in the same team. They both struggle to get going early on so they have to make that choice. And because Hafeez can bowl a bit still, that's why I would go with him,” the 52-year-old added.
Hafeez and Malik are Pakistan's leading run-scorers in T20I cricket. Hafeez has scored 2,429 runs from 113 matches whereas Malik has scored 2,335 runs from 116 matches. Both batters were inconsistent for their respective teams in Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2021.
