Shoaib Malik was not even a part of Pakistan’s initial T20 World Cup squad, he only made it as a replacement for the injured Sohaib Maqsood. Perhaps, the Pakistan selectors were not sure of what the veteran, who would turn 40 in another three months, could add to the team in cricket’s youngest format.

But Malik has proved his worth, his power-packed 18-ball 54 — joint fastest fifty in T20 World Cup alongside KL Rahul — against Scotland on Sunday underlining his importance.

“...Well, to be honest, I would say I have self-obsession of seeing myself fit when I look at the mirror, and most importantly, I’m still enjoying playing cricket… End of the day, it’s helping the team as well,” Malik said at a media conference after Pakistan’s 72-run win on Sunday night.

“I guess if you want to stay fit, then you’ve got to train every day, and that’s what I have been doing. I’m not sure about whether I would be playing a year more or two. Right now I’m in middle of a very important thing (World Cup) and am not thinking about all that,” he added.

Asked about Pakistan’s semi-final opponents, Australia, Malik said: “Of course we have seen Australia, the way they have been playing. They have been playing really good cricket. But so are we. Of course it’s going to be a tough challenge for both the teams,” Malik said.

“It’s just another game… I guess the other batters have made plans, we must execute and just take it as another game. We have a few days in between before the semis, so I’m sure the management will sit and they’ll definitely make plans,” Malik added.

When the topic of his late inclusion in the Cup squad was raised, he said that he is habituated with omissions.

“Of course I felt bad. I was very disappointed. But I’ve seen a lot of (Pakistan) teams where my name was not there,” he said.