These are the performances that extend your career: Shoaib Malik

Malik celebrates after reaching his century

Pakistan allrounder Shoaib Malik thanked the team management for backing him to perform last night in the first ODI against Zimbabwe. Malik scored a dazzling 112 from just 76 deliveries that consisted of 12 fours and two sixes. In a way, he surprised a lot of people since he wasn’t even in contention to make the squad in the first place. Initially slotted in to come in at number 5, the coach asked him to bat at number 3 since the first wicket fell with just 23 overs left.

"These are the performances that extend your career," Malik said after the match. "I needed that and it came with a lot of backing from the team management." It’s been two years since he played an ODI for Pakistan and after failing to make an impact in the two T20s, it looked highly unlikely that he would succeed in this format.

But he was confident he says after guiding his domestic side to the T20 title last month where he averaged 61. "Before coming into the series I was playing in Faisalabad in domestic T20 where I played a couple of good innings and that actually gave me the flow and confidence. Now I would like to keep it going and be consistent with my form."

"There has been an obvious disappointment but as a profession you always look for opportunity and you have to perform to get their attention. At the end of the day, it's selectors' prerogative to pick me or not as it's up to them to pick whatever they require fitting in for their combination. Everyone set goals for themselves ... I have some plans to contribute as a team and individually comes later," he said.