Mohammad Shahzad opens up about his omission from Afghanistan team

Afghanistan batter Mohammad Shahzad has opened up about why he was excluded from the team. Shahzad revealed that his outspoken nature and candid remarks about the support received from Pakistan when they started playing cricket in Peshawar played a significant role in his ousting.

"Pakistan supported us when we started playing cricket. They kicked me out because of speaking this truth. I know how we started in Peshawar, our domestic cricket," Shahzad expressed.

It is worth noting that the wicketkeeper batter's T20 International (T20I) record is equally impressive, featuring 73 matches where he has scored 2048 runs at an average of 29.25, including a blistering 118* and a strike rate of 132.12. These statistics underline Shahzad's versatility and impact across various cricket formats.

Shahzad's last appearances in international cricket highlight significant milestones in his career. 

His final Test match was between Ireland and Afghanistan at Dehradun, played from March 15 to 18, 2019. His last ODI took place in Cardiff, where Afghanistan faced Sri Lanka on June 4, 2019. 

Most recently, Shahzad's last T20I appearance was against India at Hangzhou on October 7, 2023. These matches mark the conclusion of his contributions in each format at the international level.