Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has issued an official statement over the controversy surrounding his contract termination with Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise Fortune Barishal. Rubbishing all rumors around his exit from the franchise, he stated that the contract was terminated through mutual agreement.

Earlier in the day, some reports in Bangladesh media claimed that Fortune Barishal had terminated the senior cricketer’s contract amid match-fixing suspicions. The controversy began after Malik bowled three no-balls in a single over during a BPL 2024 match against Khulna Tigers.

On Friday, January 26, the 41-year-old took to his official X handle to issue a statement over his exit from Fortune Barishal. He made it clear that he was in Dubai as part of pre-arranged personal commitments.

“I would like to address and dismiss the recent rumors circulating about my playing position with Fortune Barishal. I had a thorough discussion with our captain, Tamim Iqbal, and we mutually planned the way forward. I had to leave Bangladesh for a pre-committed media engagement in Dubai,” Malik’s statement read.

“I extend my best wishes to Fortune Barishal for their upcoming matches, and if needed, I am available to support them if needs be. I have always found joy in playing the game and will continue to do so,” the all-rounder added.

Reacting to rumors surrounding his contract termination, the veteran all-rounder urged everyone to act with restraint, pointing to the harm false information can cause to a person’s reputation.

“I want to emphasize the importance of exercising caution when it comes to rumors, especially those circulating recently. I want to make it clear that I strongly refute these baseless rumors. It’s crucial for everyone to verify information before believing and spreading it,” he wrote as part of his official statement.

“Falsehoods can harm reputations and create unnecessary confusion. Let’s prioritize accuracy and rely on credible sources to ensure a clear understanding of the facts. Thank you for your understanding and diligence. Thank you for your love & support as always,” Malik concluded.

While the all-rounder did not have a great time in BPL 2024, he did become the first Asian to score 13,000 T20 runs during the course of the T20 league.

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Shoaib Malik recently married Pakistan actor

Malik has been constantly in the news over the last few days. He recently married Pakistan actor Sana Javed and confirmed the same through a post on his social media handles on January 20.

The experienced cricketer shared pictures from the wedding ceremony on his social media handles with the caption:

“And We created you in pairs.”

Malik was earlier married to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza. The two are parents to a boy, Izhaan, who was born in 2018.