Ahmad Shahzad puts team first, says he never wanted to be number one in rankings

Pakistan cricketer, Ahmad Shahzad, made a thought-provoking statement regarding individual rankings and the importance of prioritizing team goals over personal achievements.

Shahzad, in an interview with a local TV channel, expressed that it never occurred to him that he needed to be the number one ranked batter. Instead, he always emphasized playing according to the team's requirements.

“It never crossed my mind that I need to be number one in ICC [batters] rankings. I always thought about playing according to team’s requirement,” Shahzad said.

Shahzad highlighted the potential pitfalls of fixating on personal averages and rankings, stating that when a player becomes overly focused on these statistics, the team's objectives and overall success can be neglected.

“When you run after averages, then your team and its goals are left behind,” he added.

The cricketer further elaborated on the notion that being in the top ten rankings does not necessarily determine a player's value to the team.

“Many world-class players play short but impactful innings and they are not in top ten ranking, but they are very valuable players for the team. So we also need to follow suit and our focus should be on team’s requirement,” he concluded.

Pakistan team director, Mickey Arthur, also recently emphasized the importance of prioritizing the team over individual achievements.

In an interview with a foreign sports journalist, Arthur said that when all players will work together selflessly, the Men in Green can become a formidable force.

“It has to be team first before individuals. That is something I am very tough on. If we get all the players working for team first, it is going to be so powerful. Those individual records will all be broken, but we need to have success as a team first,” Arthur said.