Ahmed Shehzad to be dropped from the ODI, T20I series against Windies

Opener Ahmed Shehzad has been dropped the Pakistan national team for the upcoming One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty 20 International (T20I) series against WiIndies, according to reports. The decision came after Shehzad failed to prove his worth for the team with the willow. The decision was taken by the selection committee in consultation with head coach Mikey Arthur to create a space for all-rounder Amir Yameen or Muhammad Nawaz in the upcoming series to judge their talent.

Shehzad was overlooked during the recent series against Sri Lanka in the UAE as he failed to make a mark despite being given chances in regular matches. The right-hand batsman’s scoreline looks like this 27, 22 in the two T20I matches respectively. In the ODI series, he miserably failed to score as well where he returned with 0 and 8.

The talented batsman, who has played 13 Tests and 81 ODIs and 5 T20Is for Pakistan, was also released by his Pakistan Super League team Quetta Gladiators after persistent failures. However, the opener is optimistic that any franchise will pick him in the drafts scheduled on November 12 in Lahore.

Yasir Arafat advices Shehzad to concentrate on his problems

Meanwhile, former Pakistan cricketer Yasir Arafat believes Shezad can get himself out of the troubles only if he ‘concentrates on fixing his problems.’ “Only Ahmed Shehzad can help Ahmed Shehzad. There is no one else to blame for the problems that he is facing at the moment, with being dropped from the teams after being selected,” said Arafat, as quoted PakPassion.

“It is not that he is not capable of doing well as we saw in his fantastic performances against the World XI but his inability to improve and concentrate on fixing his problems is worrying,” he added.

The former all-rounder also pointed out Shezad’s inability to maintain a healthy strike which is important in limited-overs cricket. “You have to remember that when Shehzad started his career, he was considered an attacking player in all forms of the game… I cannot understand why his ability to score has diminished over time and this is something only he can answer, explain and fix,” he concluded.