"Why do they start talking about Malik when existing ones don't perform?"

Pakistan men's team will start their T20 World Cup campaign on October 23 against arch-rivals India.

Prior to the tournament, the team competed in several T20I series, including a seven-match series against England, which they lost 3-4. However, in the T20I tri-series between New Zealand and Bangladesh, the Babar Azam-led side won the final against the Blackcaps.

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However, one of Pakistan's major concerns in the run-up to the T20 World Cup has been their middle order. Even though players in the middle order like Mohammad Nawaz and Haider Ali, stepped up in the tri-series final, the side's 3-6 put significant pressure on its top order of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stuck with the existing middle-order batters for the T20 World Cup, ignoring veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik, who was widely expected to return to the side. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi spoke about Malik's absence a week before the start of the team's campaign at the tournament, insisting that players like him are only remembered when the current ones fail to perform.

“We give chances to new people, and when they don't perform, we start remembering the old ones. Why are people remembering Shoaib Malik? It's because the newer guys aren't performing,” Afridi said on a local news channel.

“People also tell me that I can still play for Pakistan. But for me, that chapter is over,” he maintained.

On the other hand, Malik also talked about his snub and said: "I don't have a problem with anyone and I am not against anyone because being positive has been a major reason behind the success of my career."