Published: Apr 09, 2020, 08:09 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 09, 2020, 08:09 PM (IST)
Pakistan allrounder Shoaib Malik has responded to former captain Ramiz Raza’s suggestion for him to retire gracefully. The comment hasn’t gone down well with the veteran who, in a tweet loaded with sarcasm, has accepted his advise saying he should too join him into retirement.
Raza had said that the time has come for the experienced Malik and countryman Mohammad Hafeez to quit playing international cricket on their own and keep their respect intact.
“Yes Ramiz Raja bhai agreed. Since all three of us are the end of our careers let’s retire gracefully together I call and let’s plan this for 2022?,” Malik wrote on Wendesday.
However, the issue hasn’t been buried yet with Raza, who now does commentary, hitting back.
“Retire gracefully .. from what ?.. speaking my mind on pak cricket? Sticking my neck out for pak cricket ? Wanting Pak cricket back at top ? No chance .. won’t be gracefully retiring from that ever Malik Sahib! as for ur post retirement plans,” Raja wrote.
He added, “Would be tough to start commentating in 2022 as that would make you my age almost And talking of careers , don’t need a tutorial from u of all the ppl as history, which is a great teacher, would tell u that I retired while I was Captain of Pak team.”
However, Aaqib Javed, a former Pakistan pacer, has a different take on the matter saying till the time a replacement isn’t found, there shouldn’t be any talk of Hafeez and Malik retiring.
“Honestly speaking, I didn’t see any batting talent in the recent Pakistan Super League. It is obvious that our middle order is brittle in white ball cricket and tell me few names who we can use to replace Hafeez and Malik now,” Aaqib said on the GTV news channel.
“You can advise senior players to retire but first need to have batsmen to replace them. The sort of innings Hafeez and Malik played in the PSL it is clear they are still our best choices,” he added.
