During a recent post-match press conference, Shoaib Malik, all-rounder for Karachi Kings in the running 8th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), provided insight on the significance of experience in all fields by citing examples of renowned figures such as Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and Novak Djokovic, a Serbian tennis player.
When a journalist from Express News complimented Shoaib Malik’s performance against the Zalmi team by referring to him as “old is gold,” the batsman drew a comparison to actor Shah Rukh Khan’s recent film Pathaan with how the actor continues to shine and make waves regardless of his age and emphasised that age should not be the sole focus when assessing a player’s abilities.
“Shahrukh Khan did a movie recently, he was also looking like ‘old is gold’,” he said.
Malik also shared that a person’s age should not be the determining factor in whether they can compete with younger players. He cited tennis player Novak Djokovic, who won a grand slam at the age of 36, as an example of how age does not necessarily equate to a lack of skill or ability.
“We should not put too much emphasis on age. If Novak Djokovic can win a grand slam at the age of 36, then we should see whether a person can compete with a youngster or not. We should also see if we don’t have to hide a senior player in the field or if he doesn’t disturb the dressing room’s environment,” he said.
He also shared his belief in holding all players to the same standards and rules, regardless of their age. “The rules should be the same for everyone. There should not be different rules for aged players,” he added.
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Moving on, Malik also definitively stated that he has no intention of returning to the longer versions of the game. “I aim to make it clear that I have retired from Test and ODI cricket and I am solely focused on the T20 format. My priority is to perform well in T20s as I am still available to play for Pakistan. Although I have no expectations from anyone, I aspire to score 15,000 runs in T20s before my retirement. I am determined to enjoy my cricket journey until then,” he said.
After the exhilarating match between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi, the player also shared his views on the prospects of Iftikhar Ahmed and his potential role in the Pakistani squad for the 2023 World Cup in India. Malik shared his insights on Ahmed’s skills, performances, and adaptability to different playing conditions while putting forward a request for his selection in the future.
