Shoaib Malik to return home due to ‘personal issue’

The Pakistan cricket team management announced on Monday that veteran batsman Shoaib Malik has been given leave so that the batsman can return home to deal with a 'personal issue'.

Malik is expected to rejoin the team in 10 days’ time, informed PCB. The former cricket captain is currently in England with the Pakistan squad where they are slated to play a one-off T20I and a five-match ODI series against the hosts before heading into the World Cup.

The batsman has already informed that the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019 is going to be his last World Cup. “This will be my last World Cup and I want Pakistan to win it. I believe there is a fantastic combination of young and senior players in this squad,” Malik said earlier.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will play two warm-up World Cup games against Afghanistan on May 24 and Bangladesh on May 26, before taking on the West Indies in their first World Cup match in Nottingham on May 31.

Pakistan World Cup Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain