Malan says Pakistan match could be his last for England
Cricket
England managed just two wins in their first eight group matches to be eliminated from World Cup
KOLKATA (Reuters) - Dawid Malan will not be surprised if Saturday's match against Pakistan proves to be his last for England, who might opt for a 50-overs reset following their dismal World Cup title defence in India, the opening batter said on Friday.
Jos Buttler's England managed just two wins in their first eight group matches to be eliminated from the tournament and are now playing for a top-eight finish to secure their place in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
The debacle has prompted demands for a complete overhaul of the 50-overs side, and Malan knows age is not on his side even though he has been England's best batter in the tournament.
"I guess I'm in a unique situation being the second oldest in this team," the 36-year-old told reporters at Eden Gardens.
"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."
Malan is one two English batters along with Ben Stokes who managed a century in the tournament and his average of 46.62 is better than any of his team mates.
"Playing for England means everything for me. I've made no secret of that," Malan said.
"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 little bit further ahead and see what's 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."
Malan said he still had the skills to score runs.
"If they want experience around, someone who's played quite a bit and played in the way that the team wants to play, I'd love to still be around and do it," he said.
"But when you get to this stage of being the second oldest, it's usually them that go first regardless of results and that's part and parcel of the game."
