‘In form’ Kamran, Malik disappointed over exclusion from Test, T20 squads for NZ tour

KARACHI - Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik have expressed their disappointment at having been overlooked by the selectors for the Twenty20 and Test squads against New Zealand.

“I am disappointed at being left out, because I passed an email from the ICC to the PCB last month which cleared my name for selection, so I should know why my name was excluded,” the Daily Times quoted Kamran, as saying to a news agency.

Kamran’s name was also mentioned in a video footage aired by a Pakistani TV channel this week, in which alleged bookmaker Mazhar Majeed claimed that the wicketkeeper was among the seven Pakistani players obeying his orders during matches.

Kamran admitted that Majeed was his marketing agent, but denied that he had been involved in any wrongdoing.

“Majeed has been a Pakistani players’ agent. He was Inzamam-ul-Haq’s agent, Yousuf’s agent and an agent for several other players, including Umar Gul and Salman Butt. But I have never been involved in any wrongdoing,” he said.

The wicketkeeper was not selected for Pakistan’s recent series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates because he was recovering from an appendicitis operation. But he has since featured in domestic matches, hitting his highest first-class score of 268 last month.

“I am performing well at first-class level, so I still hope to play for Pakistan in the one-day series against New Zealand and then in next year’s World Cup,” said Kamran.

Shoaib Malik, who hit two hundreds in domestic matches last month, said that he was upset after being excluded from both squads for the New Zealand tour.

“I am really disappointed,” he said, adding, “I have performed well in the domestic season.”

“Throughout my 11-year career I have never been involved in any wrongdoing and was not even in the team when all those (fixing) allegations were levelled,” stated Malik, who played neither in the Sydney Test nor the England series this year, during which spot-fixings allegedly took place. (ANI)