Pakistan's Ahmed Shehzad charged with ball-tampering

Controversy and Ahmed Shehzad go hand-in-hand. The batsman made his international debut way back in 2009 as a prodigy but never managed to cement his spot in the side. One of the reasons for the same is his poor record with discipline. And the right-handed batsman has now landed in hot water once again.

Ahmed Shehzad has been charged with altering the condition of the ball during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy clash between Central Punjab and Sindh. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the news on Thursday night and also added that a decision on the player would be taken on Friday. The incident took place during the first innings of Sindh at Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad on the second day’s play.

“Central Punjab captain Ahmed Shehzad has been charged for changing the condition of the ball as per the non-identification process. Decision tomorrow,” PCB wrote in its statement.

Ahmed Shehzad’s poor record with discipline

This is not the first time Ahmed Shehzad has found himself in the middle of the storm due to disciplinary reasons. Last year, PCB had slapped him with a four-month ban effective from July 10, 2018, for violating PCB’s anti-doping rules. He was provisionally suspended on July 10 after being tested positive for a prohibited substance following a random dope test that was conducted during the Pakistan Cup domestic tournament.

The doping ban had pretty much derailed his international career as he lost his place in the team. However, Pakistan recently recalled him for the T20I series against Sri Lanka at home. But Ahmed Shehzad failed miserably in the series and thus failed to find a spot in the squad for the upcoming series in Australia.

Against Sri Lanka, he played two of the three games and managed just 13 and 4. Pakistan, on the other hand, had suffered a humiliating whitewash at home. Following the series, they also sacked Sarfaraz Ahmed as their captain. Meanwhile, Shehzad is likely to receive a fine of 50% of his match fees for the ball-tampering incident. The 27-year old has so far played in 13 Tests, 81 ODIs and 59 T20 Internationals.

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