5 Asian players from T20 WC 2021 who may not play in the T20 WC 2022

2. Shoaib Malik

The veteran of Pakistan cricket has been around forever. He made his debut in 1999 and by looking at his 18-ball 54 against Scotland, it is safe to say that he still has probably another decade of cricket left in him. The fact that he was brought into the team right before the tournament, that too due to an injury to Shoaib Maqsood, gives gans ‘stars were aligned’ vibes. 

However, realistically, he is 39 years old. No one can say that he will not be able to deliver once he is 40 years old. However, it should be noted that playing at the international level is a different ball game. Also, considering that the World Cup will be played in a foreign country, it might not be the worst thing to try out some young players and see how they go about their business. 

Malik might still continue playing franchise cricket across the globe. But unless he gets a Big Bash League gig now and scores a lot of runs, it is difficult to see if he can get a chance beyond this tournament. It is also worth noting that Malik had made it clear that he is not planning to retire now as he can still bat, bowl, and be energetic on the field.