Final omission one of my toughest days – Malan
DAWID Malan shed a few tears after being informed England were unwilling to risk him for the T20 World Cup final, which he branded “one of the toughest days” of his career.
Malan is a mainstay in England’s T20 line-up and is their highestranked batter in the format, but he injured his groin while fielding in the side’s last Super 12s group match against Sri Lanka.
He missed the ten-wicket semifinal thrashing of India but passed all fitness tests the day before the marquee match against Pakistan, only for England to err on the side of caution and select Phil Salt.
Malan accepts the reasoning behind the decision made by Jos Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott. The 35-year-old and Mark Wood, also sidelined by injury, were able to console each other ahead of a match England won to become the first men’s side to hold both T20 and ODI World Cups simultaneously.
“We all have tough times in our careers,” he said. “Not being able to play the final was probably one of the toughest days I’ve ever had as a cricketer. That’s what sport’s like – it’s cruel sometimes.
“Understandably the decision was taken not to risk Woody and me, even though we’d done what was needed. I had a few tears that night, you never know how many World Cup finals you’re going to be a part of.
“If you’re just not fit and not able to do what’s required, it’s probably easier to take than to pass a fitness test and still be in a situation where you’re still at risk and you could still let the team down by pulling up the next day in the second over of the game chasing a ball.
“Mark and myself had a twominute chat. We both were gutted and then said ‘It’s not about us anymore it’s about what the team needed’. It’s in the past. We’ve won the World Cup, that’s all that matters.”
Malan was diagnosed with a grade two tear, but less than a fortnight on from the injury, the left-hander was back in action in the first of three ODIs against Australia.
The hosts won by six wickets with relative ease as a mainly secondstring England – only skipper Buttler and opening batsman Jason Roy were ODI regulars from this line-up – were thoroughly outclassed.
While Australia reached England’s 287 for nine with 3.1 overs to spare, thanks to fifties from David Warner, Travis Head and Steve Smith, Malan gave the tourists some cheer with a fine 134 off 128 balls.
First One Day International – Adelaide: England 287-9 (D J Malan 134) Australia 291-4 (D A Warner
86, S P D Smith 80 no, T M Head 69). Australia beat England by six wickets.