KARACHI, Feb 28: Pakistan have dropped controversial batsman Salim Malik for their third Asian Test against Sri Lanka. Sensational teenager Imran Nazir has been instead given a berth, Pakistan selectors announced today.Malik's brother-in-law Ejaz Ahmed also missed out on a place in the final 15 due to his ankle injury. The selectors had earlier omitted pacer Waqar Younis and leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed for the third match in the Asian Test Championship starting in Lahore from Thursday.``I am surprised at my exclusion. I don't think I played badly in India but they are torturing me to no end by keeping me in and out,'' Malik told AFP.Middle order batsman Mohammad Wasim will replace Malik in the team. The selectors delayed naming probables for the 1999 World Cup until later this week. The deadline for naming World Cup squad is March 15.
The 36-year-old Malik scored 32 in Pakistan's low total of 185 but failed in the second innings with only 9 in the first against India in Calcutta last week. ``I have enoughcricket left in me. And I will come back and silence my detractors as I have done in the past,'' Malik said. The newcomer Nazir had hit a belligerent century in the One-Day match against the touring South African under-19 and scored prolifically in junior Tests.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Printer-friendly page