Pakistani off-spinner Shoaib Malik, who has been cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) of a suspect action, could play as a specialist batsman during the ongoing India series, team manager Salim Altaf has said.
“He will play in the series. He can even play as a specialist batsman. He is a good enough batsman,” Altaf said.
Malik, 23, was not played in the last week’s drawn first Test at Mohali, where both teams went with three pacers on a pitch that promised to assist them.
After the failure of the specialist batsmen, especially vice-captain Younis Khan, Malik could well be in contention for the second Test at Kolkata beginning on Wednesday.
Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, where Malik played the Platinum Jubilee one-day in November, is a big ground and might tempt captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and the team management to include Malik in the XI.
The ICC has recently allowed Malik to bowl, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has for some reason not made him bowl in international matches.
“He has been cleared by the ICC, but team coach Bob Woolmer and I are discussing the report of the University Western Australia, where he had gone for remedial work on his action,” said Altaf.
After receiving the report from the university the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) called a meeting of its group of bowling advisors, comprising former Test bowlers Ijaz Faqih and Aqib Javed, at Gaddafi Stadium in December last year to review the document.
Malik, who captured 80 wickets in 93 one-dayers and eight in eight Tests, played on Pakistan’s recently tour of Australia, but did not bowl at all, in both Test and the one-day VB Triangular Series, as the ICC report on him was pending.
The Sialkot-born Malik scored 47 runs in the lone Test he played and made 195 runs at 27.85 in eight One-Day Internationals.
Source: http://www.htcricket.com/htcricket/7679 … 980007.htm
or he might play as an opener who knows 
:k:
