Ahmed Shehzad withdraws from Champions Cup, levels serious allegations against PCB

The 32-year-old Pakistan National Cricket Team batsman Ahmed Shehzad has withdrawn from the upcoming Champions Cup and he has leveled some serious allegations against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

PCB recently announced the complete schedule for the Champions One-Day Cup, which is the new domestic competition in Pakistan. The tournament, which will feature the country’s top 150 cricketers, is set to be played from September 12 to 29 at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

A total of five teams - Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, Stallions, and Wolves - will feature in the competition, and they will be mentored by the Pakistan legends. Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, and Waqar Younis have been named as the mentors.

Reportedly, they have signed three-year contracts and will receive an annual amount of PKR 5 million, totaling PKR 15 million rupees over the three-year term.

The salaries finalized for the mentors by PCB haven't gone down well with Ahmed Shehzad, and the batter slammed the board for this move. On Friday, August 30, he took to his official X handle to announce his withdrawal from the Champions Cup. He also leveled allegations of favoritism, false promises, and injustice towards domestic players against the Pakistan Cricket Board.

"With a heavy heart, I've decided not to play in the Domestic Cricket Champions Cup. The PCB's favouritism, false promises, and injustice towards domestic players are unacceptable," Ahmed Shehzad wrote.

PCB is wasting 5 million Rs on mentors for doing nothing - Ahmed Shehzad

Ahmed Shehzad further highlighted the salaries of mentors and said that the board is wasting money on mentors who will do nothing. He further stated:

"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."

Ahmed Shehzad also lashed out at Mohsin Naqvi's 'no tools for surgery' remark. Notably, the statement of Naqvi meant that the Pakistan Cricket Board can't drop players from the current set-up because they don't have a large pool of players to select from. Ahmed Shehzad elaborated:

"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

Ahmed has represented Pakistan in all three formats, playing 13 Tests, 81 ODIs, and 59 T20Is but he has been out of the national team's setup for a long time now. His last appearance for Pakistan came in 2019.

In recent times, he has been heavily critical of the performance of the Pakistan cricket team and has launched non-stop attacks on the players for the team's downfall.