SALEEM MALIK (PAKISTAN)

Introduction:

Saleem Malik (16 April 1963) is a former Pakistani cricketer who played between 1981-82 and 1999, at one stage captaining the Pakistani cricket team. He was a right handed wristy middle order batsman who was strong square of the wicket. His leg break bowling was also quite effective. Despite playing over 100 Tests he would go down in cricket history as the first of a number of international cricketers to be banned for match fixing around the start of the 21st century. Saleem Malik is the brother-in-law of former team mate Ijaz Ahmed.

Career:

Saleem Malik played his first Test match in March 1982, against Sri Lanka at Karachi. After making 12 in his first innings he made an unbeaten 100 in the second to set up a declaration. Aged 18 years and 323 days he was at the time the second youngest player to make a century on Test debut.

During the tour of England in 1987, Saleem Malik fell for 99 at Headingley and made 102 at The Oval. He would become familiar with English conditions, playing for Essex for a couple of years during the early 1990s. He had a good season in 1991, scoring 1972 runs, the 3rd most by a non English player for Essex. In Test cricket he performed better against England than any other of his opponents, appearing 19 times and making 1396 runs at 60.70. One of his notable performances in One Day International cricket was an innings that he played against India in 1987. Chasing 238 in 40 overs, Pakistan were reduced to 5/161 when Saleem Malik arrived at the crease. He scored 72 out of the remaining 77 runs required, making them from just 36 deliveries. He finished unbeaten and Pakistan won by 2 wickets with 3 balls still to spare in the match. He captained Pakistan in 12 Tests, winning 7. In ODI cricket he led his country 34 times and won 21 of them.

Match Fixing Issue:

Saleem Malik captained Pakistan in tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe before being suspended from cricket having been accused of bribery. He was however found innocent and allowed to continue his career. Saleem Malik played his last Test match in January 1999 but ended his cricket career in disgrace, having been given a life ban as a result of Justice Qayyam's enquiry in May 2000.

A local court in Lahore has lifted the life ban imposed by Pakistan Cricket Board on 23 October 2008. Civil judge Malik Mohammad Altaf ruled in favour of Saleem Malik and quashed the ban imposed for alleged match fixing. He claimed to have accepted an offer by the PCB to work as the Chief Coach for country's National Cricket Academy on 3 November 2008 just days after the ban was lifted, however, the PCB denied making any such offer. In October 2012, Saleem Malik has submitted his application to the Pakistan Cricket Board ''PCB'' for the position of batting coach. Earlier this month the PCB has placed an advertisement seeking a batting coach for the national side. He is now planning to establish a cricket academy for young cricketers in Lahore and has been doing his personal business with his long term partner Hamza Yusuf.

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