imageISLAMABAD: Disappointed for not being picked for the 2015 World Cup, former captain Shoaib Malik still wants to play for Pakistan.

He was hopeful that he would be selected for the World Cup. However, it was not the end of world for him of not being selected, he said while talking to a private news channel.

Malik said his aim was to play for Pakistan, while captaincy was a secondary issue. "Some people twisted what I had said about playing for Pakistan and captaincy," he said, adding some people wanted to focus on the negatives rather than the positives.

"I want to play cricket for Pakistan and also around the world. If something I have said can help our cricketers in future, then that is a good thing," he said.

Malik said he was hurt over the treatment he was meted out. Some people targetted him for personal reasons when his name started being mentioned for inclusion in the team.

Seniors needed to be given respect, he added. He said, "There are communication gaps in Pakistan cricket which cause a lot of problems."

Malik said in 2007 Younis Khan turned down the captaincy and he (Malik) was given the role. Perhaps he should have waited for some time before attaining the captaincy. It was difficult for a captain to appease all the team members.

He said the team was in trouble when he was made captain. "Some people couldn't swallow this fact." He also mentioned that his track record as captain was very good.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2015

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