Out-of-favour Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad has pulled out of the newly introduced Champions Cup, accusing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of perpetrating "injustice and favouritism" in an incendiary post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Earlier this month, the PCB announced the setting up of the 'Champions events', three new competitions at the domestic level to "bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket" in Pakistan. The 'Champions Events' will be played in the first-class, 50-overs and T20 formats.
However, Shehzad, withdrew himself from the tournaments in a blaze of fury, accusing the PCB of "favoritism, false promises, and injustice towards domestic players".
"With a heavy heart, I've decided not to play in the Domestic Cricket Champions Cup. The PCB's favoritism, false promises, and injustice towards domestic players are unacceptable," Shehzad wrote.
"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. It's even more disrespectful that the PCB claims they don't have 'instruments for surgery' which is a huge disrespect for domestic players. As a Pakistani and true cricket lover, I cannot support a system that has no value for merit. I refuse to be a part of this failed setup."
With a heavy heart, I've decided not to play in the Domestic Cricket Champions Cup. The PCB's favoritism, false promises, and injustice towards domestic players are unacceptable. In a time when Pakistan is struggling with inflation, poverty, and massive electricity bills, the PCB…
— Ahmad Shahzad 🇵🇰 (@iamAhmadshahzad) August 30, 2024
Shehzad's response triggered by PCB chief's comments?
Shehzad's social media outburst comes days after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi had questioned the lack of depth in the country's talent pool, saying the squad needs "surgery" to fix their problems.
“The problem is the selection committee has no pool to turn to from which to select players," Naqvi said after Pakistan lost the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. "I spoke of surgery because we need to fix our problems. But when we look at how to resolve them, we don't have any solid data or player pool which we can draw from. The whole system was a mess. For surgery, you need all the tools to perform it."
In a similar move, the right-hand batter retired from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after failing to get a team last season. He blamed it on a “deliberate effort” by all the franchises to keep him out of the competition. He hasn’t played in the league since 2020.
Shehzad, who has represented Pakistan in 81 ODIs, 59 T20Is and 13 Tests so far, last donned his nation’s jersey way back in 2019 in the shortest format against Sri Lanka.
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