Shoaib Malik requests the media to refrain from digging into cricketers’ family matters

Pakistan has had a forgettable campaign in the ongoing World Cup in England and Wales. Having garnered only three points from five games, the Men in Green are languishing in the ninth position on the points table. They lost the previous encounter to India and since then the fans have been finding every reason to criticise the team and the players. Their all-rounder Shoaib Malik and his better-half Sania Mirza, the Indian tennis star, became a part of a controversy.

Before their match on Sunday, versus India at the Old Trafford in Manchester, the couple was spotted at a Shisha Café, which is located on Winslow Road in Manchester, at around 2 AM. Other players like Imam-ul-Haq and Wahab Riaz were also spotted enjoying there. A few of the supporters said that while Malik smoked shisha, the others had junk food like Burger and Pizza the night before the game.

A video of the same went viral on social media. Pakistan lost the marquee clash by 89 runs (DLS Method) and Sania along with Shoaib was a recipient of severe criticism from the public. After the trolling, Sania lashed out at the one who shot the clip without their permission. She also mentioned that people are allowed to have food, even after losing a match.

In the meantime, the Malik has also opened up on the matter, which has grabbed the limelight. He clearly wasn’t happy with the development and didn’t mince any words in saying that it’s not the right thing to dig into one’s family matters.

The veteran took to Twitter and wrote, “On behalf of all athletes I would like to request media and people to maintain respect levels in regards to our families, who should not be dragged into petty discussions at will. It’s not a nice thing to do,”

Here is Malik’s tweet

On behalf of all athletes I would like to request media and people to maintain respect levels in regards to our families, who should not be dragged into petty discussions at will. It’s not a nice thing to do

— Shoaib Malik 🇵🇰 (@realshoaibmalik) June 17, 2019

Also read- Reports: Sarfaraz Ahmed warns Pakistan players about the possible public outrage back home

Malik’s lacklustre World Cup journey

Prior to the tournament, Malik was expected to play a pivotal role for the side. However, he has flattered to deceive thus far. He didn’t play the first match against the Windies and thereafter could only manage eight runs versus England in Nottingham. To make things worse, he couldn’t open his account in the last two games against India and Australia. After the World Cup, Malik will retire from ODI cricket and he’ll wish to bow out on a high with some substantial knocks under his belt.