Dawid Malan Hints At Retirement After World Cup Match vs Pakistan

England opener Dawid Malan has said the upcoming game against Pakistan could be the last time he plays for England. The reigning world champions will take on Pakistan on Saturday (November 11) in their last league game of the ongoing World Cup.

Already out of the semifinals race, England will still have a lot to play for. The result of the upcoming game will decide their fate for the 2025 Champions Trophy. At present, they are at the seventh spot with 2 wins and 6 losses and a heavy loss could very well see them finish at a lower position.

The top seven teams of the World Cup along with Pakistan, who will host the Champions Trophy, will qualify for the 50-over tournament. There have been calls to completely overhaul the England ODI side after the disastrous performance in the World Cup.

And with age not on his side, 36-year-old Dawid Malan could be one of the players who might face the axe. While only time will tell how things unfold for him, the veteran opener has stated that he won’t be surprised if the upcoming game turns out to be his last for his country.

“I guess I’m in a unique situation being the second oldest in this team,” Dawid Malan told reporters ahead of the game against Pakistan, as quoted by TOI.

“I don’t know what my future holds, whether that will be my choice or the team’s choice. Tomorrow could be the last game of cricket for England for me and it could still be the start of another journey. Who knows? We’ll only find out when the dust settles,” he added.

Playing for England means everything for me: Dawid Malan

Speaking further, Dawid Malan opened up on what it means to represent England in international cricket. The left-handed batsman said that he always wanted to play for England before admitting that he might have to make way for the team’s cause.

“Playing for England means everything for me. I’ve made no secret of that,” said the opener.

“I’ve always wanted to be part of this team and play for England for as long as I can but ultimately you get to a stage where you have to look a lit bit further ahead and see what’s the best for the team.

“I guess there are decisions to be made over the next couple of days when the dust has settled and we’ll see where we end up,” he added.

He is currently England’s leading run-scorer in the competition. In 8 games, he has scored 373  runs with the help of 1 century and two fifties and will be looking to bow out of the World Cup on a high.