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Cricket Players'This is pure frustration': Ramiz Raja responds to Ahmed Shehzad's 'people can't digest success in Pakistan' remark
Ramiz Raja, chairman of the PCB, has reacted to Ahmed Shehzad's string of bold and tall claims blaming the Pakistan team management for his ouster from the team.
Ramiz Raja, chairman of the PCB, has reacted to Ahmed Shehzad's string of bold and tall claims blaming the Pakistan team management for his ouster from the team. Shehzad, who last played for Pakistan in 2019 has openly criticised the management, the coaching staff and former coaches for 'spoiling and hurting' his career, but Raja said these statements are natural from someone out of the team, and suggested Shehzad to take matters into his own hands if he wants to come back to the international set-up.
"See, I too have made comebacks. This is pure frustration that gets to a player. They start blaming everyone. I think he needs to introspect. When you are out of the team, your patience is tested, your temperament is tested, your hard work is tested. So my message to him is, 'let the bat do the talking'. Keep scoring, there is no way you will be dropped from the team," Raja said during a press conference on Wednesday.
The former Pakistan captain presented the case of Shan Masood, who has forced his way back into the team courtesy having scored truckloads of runs in the Natwest T20 Blast. "Look at Shan Masood. He has forced himself back in the team through sheer number of runs," he added.
Shehzad, who has featured in 13 Tests, 81 ODIs and 59 T20I for Pakistan between 2009 and 2019, slammed former coach Waqar Younis for harming his career. In 2016, Waqar, who was then the coach of the team, had submitted a report to the PCB stating that Shehzad and Umar Akmal should return to playing domestic cricket and earn their places back in the side.
"I have not seen the report myself, but a PCB official told me that these remarks have been said regarding me. But I believe that these things should be discussed face-to-face, and I am ready to take on that challenge. Then we will see who is right and who is wrong. Their words hurt my career, especially since I was not allowed to present my case. This was a pre-planned approach, and they wanted to kill two birds with one stone," Shehzad had recently said in an interview Cricket Pakistan.
"I have said this before, and I will say it again, Kohli's career picked off amazingly because he found MS Dhoni but unfortunately, here in Pakistan, your people cannot stand your success. Our senior players and ex-cricketers cannot digest seeing someone succeed in the cricketing world, which is unfortunate for Pakistan cricket."
