Ahmed Shehzad opens up on his comparison with current players

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Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad opened up about his journey in international cricket, highlighting the challenges he faced, his frustrations with team selection, and his thoughts on how the game has evolved. 

In a recent talk, answering the question about his strike rate of 64 in 2015, Shehzad said, “So, what era of cricket was this in 2015 when I was playing? How long has it been—nine years? Ten years? Ten years. Cricket was very different back then.”

Shehzad pointed out the massive shift in the game, particularly in the batting approach. 

“Today, you need 350+ runs in almost every match. Back then, even 280 was a good score, and sometimes 300 was considered a big total. A team that managed to score 300 was seen as a strong one,” he explained. 

He went on to mention how team strategies have changed over the years. 

“But then, team plans and everything changed. However, because of innings like these, I used to get dropped from the team," he added. 

His frustration with team management was evident when he reflected on his own experiences. 

“Whenever I played badly like this, I was dropped—dragged out of the team. I have made eight comebacks. Every single time, I went back to domestic cricket, performed at the top, and then returned to the Pakistan cricket team,” he further added. 

However, Shehzad believes the current generation of players is treated differently. 

“These days? These guys just keep playing, no one is dropping them, they don’t even go back to domestic cricket. Coaches come and go, selectors come and go, and even the chairman of the cricket board changes, yet these players remain untouched. In fact, they’ve even managed to get rid of the chairman,” he remarked. 

Shehzad asked, "So, what exactly is the issue here? The criteria is simple—if you play badly, you go back to domestic cricket and earn your way back."

Shehzad shared his own struggles, including being dropped even after a strong performance. 

“Even in Test cricket, in my last innings against West Indies, I scored 80 runs, yet I was dropped right after that,” he said, clearly frustrated with the lack of consistency in selection.

He continued, “I made it into the Pakistan team with a 50+ average in the PSL and played against Sri Lanka for Pakistan. I played two matches and then got dropped again. Who do I go and ask about this?” His tone reflected the bitterness he felt about the inconsistency in how he was treated during his time.

Shehzad didn’t hold back in his criticism, even after his retirement. 

“Even after all this, now that I’ve retired, I topped in domestic cricket, played brilliantly in T20, and had a four-day average of over 50. And now? They brought me back to the camp,” he said, adding that his return was short-lived. 

"After that, without any discussion, without any explanation, without any conversation, I was dropped again," he stated. 

We were not kings at the mercy of social media—neither emperors nor princes. Whenever we played poorly, they picked us up and threw us out," Shehzad explained. 

Shehzad explained his side regarding his comeback, where after failing to score in the first match, he was moved in the batting order. 

He said, "In the first match of my comeback series, I was told to go out and attack, but I got out for 15-20 runs. In the next match, they changed my batting position, moving me from opener to one-down. Despite putting up 200 runs, I took a calculated risk while playing, got out, and was then dropped from the third match."

Shehzad recalled his conversation with then-coach Misbah-ul-Haq. 

"I topped the PSL, led Quetta Gladiators to victory, played one match as an opener, one as one-down, and then I was dropped. What’s my future?" Shehzad questioned.

According to Shehzad, Misbah replied, “You’re the best opener. Go to Faisalabad, score runs in domestic cricket, and you’ll return.” Shehzad did just that, scoring a century, an 80, and a 40 against Pakistan’s bowlers, which included Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf and Imad Wasim.

However, he was disheartened when he was overlooked again. “They selected Ahsan Ali instead. No disrespect, but there was a huge difference in performances. That’s when I felt lied to,” he shared. 

Despite the ups and downs in his career, Shehzad remained proud of his achievements. 

“Forget about what I did or didn’t do. If I start listing things, even today, I am the only player from Pakistan who scored a century in all three formats first. And to this day, I am the only one with a century in the T20 World Cup," he concluded.