Shahzad shrugs off snub: Opening batter bows out of PSL in bitter farewell

• Ahmad Shahzad retires from the PSL.
• He cites strong domestic performances and financial sacrifices.
• He vows to reveal reasons for exclusion soon.

Ahmad Shahzad, the opening batter, announced his retirement from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Friday. He was not selected in the draft for the league’s ninth season.

The right-hander was also miffed at the PSL teams for passing on him once more.

“I’m parting ways and saying goodbye to Pakistan Super League for my own self-respect. I’ve never played for money and will never do it. While many chose international leagues across the globe, I decided to grind in the domestic circuit to prove my love for the game, and to wear the Green Flag again. I’m taking this decision keeping money out of it (was offered several contracts to play leagues yet chose Pakistan),” Shahzad posted on X.

“I will not play the PSL again with these six teams. It seems like a shared responsibility to keep me away from PSL, and all franchises have shaken hands.

“Lastly, I’m thankful to all the support I’ve received from my fans across the world. I can only assure one thing and that’s never giving in to unfair demands or accept anything which lets my country down.”

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A heartfelt goodbye! pic.twitter.com/7NdjpCXjeR

— Ahmad Shahzad 🇵🇰 (@iamAhmadshahzad) December 15, 2023

In addition, Shahzad emphasized his achievements in domestic cricket and accused PSL teams of purposefully excluding him from the nation’s top T20 competition.

“I have tried really hard by giving it all in domestic circuit consistently in last few years, and did reasonably well in the National T20 Cup just before the PSL draft. There seems a deliberate effort to keep me out, even when franchises have opted for other performers with inferior numbers than me. But when everything is pre-planned so it doesn’t really matter. I don’t know whose responsibility it is to get top domestic performers in the PSL then,” he added.

“But I exactly know the reasons why I’m not made part of the PSL – the whole country, and my fans will know it very soon.”

In the PSL, Shahzad was a player for the Quetta Gladiators and the Multan Sultans. In 2020, he made his final PSL debut for Quetta, when he managed just 61 runs in seven innings.

In 43 PSL innings, Shahzad scored 1,077 runs overall with a strike rate of 120.06 and an average of 26.26.

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