The withdrawal of Pakistani batter Ahmed Shehzad from the recently launched Champions Cup, a significant event on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ‘s domestic cricket calendar, has garnered media attention.
Shehzad unleashed a vicious attack on the PCB in a contentious post on X (formerly Twitter), accusing the board of “favouritism, false promises, and injustice” towards domestic players. Even before they started, his absence has clouded the upcoming domestic tournaments.
The PCB introduced the ‘Champions Events,’ a set of three new local tournaments, earlier this month to ” bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket” in Pakistan.
First-class, 50-over and T20 formats will all be available at the events; the Champions Cup is one of the main events.
The PCB wanted to raise the country’s cricket standard and provide players a chance to compete at a higher level.
However, Shehzad’s departure and outspoken criticism have raised concerns about the board’s operations and how local players are handled.
Shehzad revealed his intense annoyance with the PCB in a post on X, writing, “I’ve decided not to play in the Domestic Cricket Champions Cup with a sorrowful heart.
Favoritism, broken pledges, and the PCB’s unfair treatment of domestic players are intolerable. He continued by accusing the board of wasting money on mentors and ignoring the actual needs of domestic players.
His comments brought a broader dissatisfaction with the PCB’s agenda, particularly given the nation’s current economic difficulties.
“In a time when Pakistan is struggling with inflation, poverty, and massive electricity bills, the PCB is wasting 5 million Rs on mentors for doing nothing and rewarding failed players in the current team who brought Pakistan cricket to an all-time low,” Shehzad said, criticizing the PCB’s spending practices.
He went on to say that the PCB’s assertion that they lacked “instruments for surgery” was an insult to local players, highlighting his incapacity to back a system that, in his opinion, is devoid of meritocracy.
Shehzad has voiced his displeasure with Pakistan’s cricket setup on previous occasions. He had already announced his retirement from the Pakistan Super League (PSL), blaming his exclusion on what he called a “deliberate effort” by all the franchises to keep him out of the league following his inability to find a team in the previous season. Shehzad feels that his exclusion from the PSL in 2020 was a calculated move meant to harm him.
It’s also important to remember that the PCB recently revealed the selection of Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, and Waqar Younis as the five eminent mentors for the Champions Cup.
After rigorous recruitment, these mentors were awarded three-year contracts and will likely serve as the clubs’ leaders in the 2017 domestic season.
Five teams will compete in the Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from September 12 to 29, 2024: the Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions, and Wolves. Shoaib Malik and the Wolves by Misbah-ul-Haq will coach the Stallions.
Ahmed Shehzad’s decision to withdraw from the Champions Cup and subsequent criticism of the board shows the hatred between the PCB and its players, especially those who play domestic cricket.
His candid comments might lead to more examination of the PCB’s procedures and leadership, particularly in light of their efforts to improve national cricket standards with programs like the Champions Events.
