File photo of Pakistan cricket team star Ahmed Shehzad© Twitter
Ahmed Shahzad, Pakistan cricket team, has been very critical of the country's board of late. His tirades started with Pakistan's falling form in international cricket. Pakistan cricket hit a new low recently as it suffered the first ever loss to Bangladesh in Tests. Since then, former Pakistan cricketers have been quite critical. Shahzad is also among them. After the first Test loss, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) brought some changes in its domestic structure.
The PCB has named Waqar Younis, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Saqlain Mushtaq as mentors for the teams during the Champions One-Day Cup. It appointed the five former stalwarts of Pakistan in preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Shahzad, who has pulled out of the Champions Cup, blasted the PCB.
"The condition of Pakistan cricket team is such that PCB needs some names that can stand in front to protect them so that they come in the line of fire. We have had such discussions before also. The lower the level of Pakistan cricket teams falls, the higher the money paid to these people. Even though they have coaching staff, but no disrespect, just like there are maids working at homes and the women of the house point out the dirty areas after a while, the work of the PCB looks the same," he said.
"Your work is the same."
Damage Control Strategy of PCB! pic.twitter.com/FnMjBukBc6
— Ahmad Shahzad (@iamAhmadshahzad) August 30, 2024
Earlier, in another X post, Shahzad had written that he is pulling out of the domestic competition due to 'favoritism, false promises, and injustice.'
"With a heavy heart, I've decided not to play in the Domestic Cricket Champions Cup. The PCB's favoritism, false promises, and injustice towards domestic players are unacceptable. In a time when Pakistan is struggling with inflation, poverty, and massive electricity bills, the PCB is wasting 5 million Rs on mentors for doing nothing and rewarding failed players in the current team who brought Pakistan cricket to an All-time Low," he posted on X.
With a heavy heart, I've decided not to play in the Domestic Cricket Champions Cup. The PCB's favoritism, false promises, and injustice towards domestic players are unacceptable. In a time when Pakistan is struggling with inflation, poverty, and massive electricity bills, the PCB…
— Ahmad Shahzad 🇵🇰 (@iamAhmadshahzad) August 30, 2024
"It's even more disrespectful that the PCB claims they don't have 'instruments for surgery' which is a huge disrespect for domestic players. As a Pakistani and true cricket lover, I cannot support a system that has no value for merit. I refuse to be a part of this failed setup."