KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that no report whatsoever has been filed by any umpire or match referee regarding the bowling action of all-rounder Shoaib Malik during the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy matches and the media reports in this connection are totally baseless.

“We have not received any report on Shoaib Malik’s bowling action from any umpire or referee during the Quaid Trophy,” a PCB spokesman said. “We have investigated the news appearing in the media and found them baseless.”

Meanwhile, Malik himself stated here on Friday that he was completely focused on making a return to the Pakistan team, hopefully for the World Cup 2015, and was making hectic efforts in that regard.

“I’m regularly playing four-day games and will not even hesitate in playing club or league matches for rediscovering my form in cricket,” said Malik while talking to media here. “The news about my bowling action being reported are baseless and I am trying my level best to make a successful return to Pakistan team.”

Malik added that he would be thrilled if selectors considered him for the upcoming New Zealand series. “If given a chance against the Kiwis in either the ODIs or the Tests, I assure the selectors that I will not disappoint them and will prove that I have enough cricket left in me,” he said.

“There is of course limited scope of playing a long innings at number six or seven in the ODIs, but I would love to play Test cricket again and show my mettle in the five-day games.”

Published in Dawn, November 2nd , 2014