Shahzad to return home from West Indies

Opener cites mother’s illness, first child birth as reasons for early departure

Pakistan opener Ahmad Shahzad on Friday was allowed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to return home to attend to his ailing mother and also to attend to his first child who was born last month.

“The PCB on the request forwarded by the team management has allowed Shahzad to return home from the West Indies tour,” read a PCB media release.

The release further said that the 25-year-old right-handed batsman will now join the team in England for the Champions Trophy.

“Shahzad had made a request to the team management to return home from the ongoing tour after his mother’s illness and birth of his first child. The opening batsman will now join the team in England,” the media release further said.

Shahzad played in the first two Test matches for Pakistan against West Indies where he scored 31, 6, 70 and 14 runs in his four innings.

Shahzad is named in the 2017 Champions Trophy squad where Pakistan will take on India, South Africa and Sri Lanka in their group to try and qualify for the semi-finals of the ODI tournament.