Malik’s resurgence after controversial exit

Fortune Barishal's Shoaib Malik marked his return to the Bangladesh Premier League with a match-winning all-round display which helped his side to a five-wicket win over Khulna Tigers in Sylhet today.

Malik initially left the team after Barishal's final game of the Dhaka phase last month. In that game against the Khulna Tigers, Malik came under immense scrutiny for blunders with the ball. He bowled three no-balls and conceded 18 runs in the fourth over of the innings. Barishal later confirmed that the all-rounder would play no further part in the tournament and had left for Dubai for personal reasons.

But Malik was back again in the BPL with Barishal on Friday and played today's game against Khulna, displaying all his T20 experience during a match-winning unbeaten 25-ball 41. In an unbroken 55-run stand with Mehedi Hasan Miraz, he clinched a nail-biting five-wicket win.

The duo took the Khulna bowlers for 37 runs in the final two overs, with 18 of those coming in the last over.

While Miraz, who smashed a 15-ball 31, has played a few cameos in the tournament, for Malik, who struggled to deliver anything of substance in the first three matches he played, it appeared to be a matter of resurgence.

"Yes, I had a commitment in Dubai, prior commitments and now I am back," Malik said in the post-match interview. "I am glad that I did something for the team and that's what experience gives you.

"We needed boundaries from both ends. It was a great innings from Miraz and he showed a lot of courage. It is remarkable. He comes out and scores boundaries under pressure. The game was in a crunch situation and it was about who breaks first. Thankfully we didn't break first," Malik said.