Ahmed Shehzad boycotts domestic tournament over PCB's 'injustice'
What's the story
Veteran Pakistani batter Ahmed Shehzad has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
He announced his withdrawal from the forthcoming Champions Cup on Friday.
The tournament is scheduled to take place in Faisalabad from September 12-29.
It will feature the country's top 150 cricketers.
Shehzad, who made several severe allegations against PCB, last played for the national team in October 2019.
Accusations
Shehzad accuses PCB of favoritism and false promises
Shehzad took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice his grievances against the PCB.
He accused them of "injustice and favoritism."
Despite being among the top cricketers selected for the tournament, Shehzad chose not to participate due to his dissatisfaction with the board's treatment of domestic players.
Notably, Shehzad has been continuously slamming the national selectors and team management.
Criticism
Shehzad criticizes PCB's spending and selection policies
Shehzad criticized the PCB for spending millions on mentors who "do nothing" and rewarding underperforming players in the current team.
He expressed his disappointment over the board's claim of lacking 'instruments for surgery,' viewing it as a sign of disrespect toward domestic players.
In a subsequent social media post titled "Damage control strategy by PCB," Shehzad further criticized the board's image protection tactics.
Disappointment
Shehzad laments state of Pakistan cricket
Shehzad, known for his aggressive batting style, expressed his disappointment over Pakistan's recent 10-wicket loss to Bangladesh in the opening Test match of a two-game series.
He described this defeat as a "new low" for Pakistan cricket and blamed the PCB's lack of vision and poor selection policies for the team's decline.
Notably, the 32-year-old Shehzad has represented Pakistan in 13 Tests, 81 ODIs and 59 T20Is.
Twitter Post
Here is the post!
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