Downend is delighted to confirm the signing of Pakistani batting sensation Zeeshan Malik for their 2023 West of England Premier League campaign.
Malik is an extraordinary batting talent who represented Pakistan Under-19s and was picked in Pakistan’s 35-man squad for their tour to New Zealand (Nov 2020). Since the 2017/18 season, Malik has gone onto play 57 domestic matches across the three formats.
Malik shot to prominence after becoming Pakistan’s third-highest run-scorer at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, averaging 56.25 for his 225 runs.
He hails from Chakwal in Rawalpindi division, made his debut in first-class cricket in 2016 for Rawalpindi, and has played five seasons since. His 2019/20 season for Northern saw him make 780 runs at an average of 52. His 467 List A runs in the 2018/19 season, including three hundreds, pushed him towards national honours.
Unfortunately, in October 2021 following the conclusion of the 2021/22 National T20 Cup, Malik was provisionally suspended from all cricket pending an anti-corruption investigation.
In January 2022, the PCB permitted Malik to return to cricket, and he subsequently headed to England where he dominated his maiden UK league stint. Playing for Golden Hill, he struck 556 runs, including 518 at 64.75 in the West of England Premier League to finish as the Divisions (WEPL 2 Bristol/Somerset) third leading run-scorer (former Somerset legend Peter Trego filled the top spot). Malik’s UK stint was cut short prematurely due to selection for the Kashmir Premier League having secured a gig with the Bagh Stallions.
An exceptional talent, Malik is now set on a UK return next summer having signed with Downend for their 2023 West of England Premier League campaign.
