Pakistan cricket and second chances are two things which don’t go hand in hand. Often times, players who fail to perform and impress the selectors in first attempt get the boot; Fawad Alam and Asim Kamal are a few examples of such behavior.
However, Ahmed Shehzad is one glaring example of how to ruin second chances. Time and time again, he was given an opportunity where he only managed to bring the phrase “one step forward, two steps back” to life.
Excluded From Central Contract List
After being dropped from the squad, Ahmed started focusing on domestic performances. He made a name for himself and quickly started playing good innings and led his team to victory. He was the 2nd highest scorer in the National T20 Cup which earned him yet another call-up.
Shehzad was selected for the England, Ireland and Scotland series but remaining true to his nature, he once again underperformed and could not convince the selectors with his tame 14 and 24 runs innings in two matches.
After being dropped for the remainder of the series, Shehzad was suspended by PCB for failing a dope test. This reflected extremely poorly on the player as he was already struggling to return to the national squad.
An independent review in July confirmed that he tested positive for a banned substance.
Due to his poor performances and overall attitude towards the game, Ahmed Shehzad has also been excluded from the list of players who will be offered PCB’s new 2018/19 central contract.
Sacked and Shamed
Just when you thought that the humiliation phase for Ahmed Shehzad was over, it has been revealed that the right-handed opening batsman has also been sacked as the captain of the HBL departmental team.
Domestic level is a platform which acts as an audition stage for players wanting to get into the national team. However, facing such issues even on a domestic level spoils all chances for the player to get noticed by the selectors.
Additionally, the 26-year-old has also been left out of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which is yet another blow for him. Seeing how Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman — Shehzad’s replacements — are enjoying great success in every format of the game.
When everything is stated at once, it seems like a near impossible task for Ahmed Shehzad to get back in the side once hos ban concludes. It seems that his days of playing at the highest level are over.
No disrespect but he himself is responsible for this he has too much ego and average performance.