Overview
Saleem Malik (Urdu: ) (16 April 1963) is a Pakistani former cricketer who was banned for match-fixing. Before his termination, he 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 legbreak bowling was also quite effective. Despite playing more than 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 is the brother-in-law of former teammate Ijaz Ahmed.[1]
He captained Pakistan in 12 Tests, winning 7. In ODI cricket he led his country 34 times and won 21 of them.
Contents
International career
Malik played his first Test match in March 1982, against Sri Lanka at Karachi.[2] 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.[3]
During the tour of England in 1987, 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.[4]In Test cricket he performed better against England than any other of his opponents, appearing 19 times and making 1396 runs at 60.70.[5]
One of his notable performances in One Day International cricket was an innings that he played against India in 1987.[6] Chasing 238 in 40 overs, Pakistan were reduced to 5/161 when Saleem 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.
Match fixing
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. 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.[7]
Saleem Malik’s career performance graph.
A local court in Lahore lifted the life ban imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board on 23 October 2008. Civil judge Malik Mohammad Altaf ruled in favour of Malik and quashed the ban imposed for alleged match fixing.[8]
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.[9]
In October 2012, Saleem Malik submitted his application to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the position of batting coach. Earlier that month the PCB had placed an advertisement seeking a batting coach for the national side.[10] 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.[11]
International centuries
Test centuries
Test centuries of Saleem MalikNoRunsMatchAgainstCity/CountryVenueStart dateResult100*1
Sri Lanka
Karachi, PakistanNational Stadium5 March 1982Won1075
India Faisalabad, PakistanIqbal Stadium3 January 1983Won11615
England Faisalabad, PakistanIqbal Stadium12 March 1984Drawn102*18 India Faisalabad, PakistanIqbal Stadium24 October 1984Drawn119*21
New Zealand Karachi, PakistanNational Stadium10 December 1984Drawn10241 England London, EnglandKennington Oval6 August 1987Drawn102*53 India Karachi, PakistanNational Stadium15 November 1989Drawn10261
West Indies Karachi, PakistanNational Stadium15 November 1990Won10164 Sri Lanka Sialkot, PakistanJinnah Stadium12 December 1991Drawn16567 England Birmingham, EnglandEdgbaston Cricket Ground4 June 1992Drawn14074 New Zealand Wellington, New ZealandBasin Reserve17 February 1994Won23779
Australia Rawalpindi, PakistanRawalpindi Cricket Stadium5 October 1994Drawn14380 Australia Lahore, PakistanGaddafi Stadium1 November 1994Drawn100*90 England London, EnglandKennington Oval22 August 1996Won15596 Sri Lanka Colombo, Sri LankaSinhalese Sports Club Ground26 April 1997Drawn
ODI centuries
One Day International centuries of Saleem MalikNoRunsMatchAgainstCity/CountryVenueStart dateResult10059 Sri Lanka Faisalabad, PakistanIqbal Stadium25 October 1987Won10172 India
Sharjah, UAESharjah Cricket Stadium19 October 1988Won100*91 Sri Lanka Sharjah, UAESharjah Cricket Stadium24 March 1989Won10295 India Sharjah, UAESharjah Cricket Stadium20 October 1989Won102138 Sri Lanka Rawalpindi, PakistanRawalpindi Cricket Stadium19 January 1992Won
International awards
One-Day International Cricket
Man of the Match awards
S NoOpponentVenueDateMatch PerformanceResult1New ZealandIqbal Stadium, Faisalabad23 November 198441 (34 balls, 1×4); 1 Ct. Pakistan won by 5 runs.[12]2IndiaEden Gardens, Kolkata18 February 198772* (36 balls, 1×4, 1×6) Pakistan won by 2 wickets.[13]3Sri LankaIqbal Stadium, Faisalabad25 October 1987100 (95 balls, 10×4) ; 7-1-29-0 Pakistan won by 113 runs.[14]4IndiaSharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah19 October 1988101 (124 balls, 5×4, 1×6) ; DNB, 1 Ct. Pakistan won by 34 runs.[15]5Sri LankaSharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah24 March 1989DNB ; 100* (112 balls, 4×4) Pakistan won by 7 wickets.[16]6IndiaSharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah20 October 1989102 (115 balls, 5×4) ; DNB, 1 Ct. Pakistan won by 38 runs.[17]7West IndiesGaddafi Stadium, Lahore11 November 1990DNB ; 91* (98 balls, 8×4) Pakistan won by 5 wickets.[18]8Sri LankaSinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo7 August 199493* (94 balls, 6×4, 3×6) ; 10-1-45-2, 1 Ct. Pakistan won by 19 runs.[19]9South AfricaNational Stadium, Karachi16 October 19943-0-14-0, 3 Ct. ; 62* (85 balls, 3×4) Pakistan won by 8 wickets.[20]10New ZealandGaddafi Stadium, Lahore6 March 199655* (47 balls, 5×4) ; 7-0-41-2, 1 Ct. Pakistan won by 46 runs.[21]11IndiaCricket, Skating and Curling Club, Toronto17 September 19961-0-9-0 ; 70* (81 balls, 6×4) Pakistan won by 2 wickets.[22]12ZimbabweBugti Stadium, Quetta30 October 19966-0-37-1 ; 72* (77 balls, 4×4) Pakistan won by 3 wickets.[23]13New ZealandJinnah Stadium, Gujranwala4 December 199673* (78 balls, 6×4, 1×6); 1 Ct. Pakistan won by 11 runs.[24]