Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik completes ODI double, joins Shahid Afridi in the elite list

All-rounder Shoaib Malik has achieved another unique milestone by becoming the second cricketer from Pakistan to complete 7,000 runs and 150 wickets in one-day internationals. Malik reached the milestone during the fifth and final game of the one-day series against Zimbabwe played at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.

He made his international in 1999 and since has been regular in the one-day setup after playing 266 one-day internationals for Pakistan. There are some renowned names that have scored 7,000 runs and taken 150 wickets in limited-overs cricket. Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya, India’s Sachin Tendulkar, South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and Australia’s Steve Waugh are notable names in the list. Here is the list of the players who managed to achieve this feat in one-day cricket.

7,000 runs and 150 wickets in Limited-overs Cricket
Player	Team	M	Runs	100s	W	5WIs
Sachin Tendulkar	India	463	18,426	49	154	2
Sanath Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	445	13,430	28	323	4
Shoaib Malik	Pakistan	266	7,000	9	156	0
Steve Waugh	Australia	325	7,569	3	195
Shahid Afridi	Pakistan	398	8,064	6	395	9
Chris Gayle	West Indies	281	9,585	23	165	1
Jacques Kallis	South Africa	328	11,579	17	273	2

Malik was originally picked as an off-spinner in the Pakistan squad for Coca-Cola Champions Trophy played in Sharjah in 1999. He slowly enhanced his reputation with the bat and saw being promoted up in the middle order position alongside Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yusuf. Malik was Pakistan’s designated finisher due to his ability to clear boundaries at the back end of the innings.

He has not enjoyed that much success in the longest format of the game. Malik has scored 1,898 runs at an average of 35.14 with three centuries to his name. His best innings came against England as he scored a mammoth 245 runs in a Test series played in UAE in 205. Last month, he also became the third player to complete 2,000 runs in T20 Cricket.

Shoaib Malik will be keen to add few more runs to his name ahead of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. The all-rounder will definitely want to win a World Cup for Pakistan to end his cricketing career on a right note.