I have done nothing wrong: Shahzad

Under-fire opener pleads innocence, disappointed at squad and contract snub.

LAHORE:

Out-of-favour Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shahzad, often criticised for his attitude, has refused to mind his ways and is not ready to accept the allegations over his lack of discipline, insisting he has done nothing wrong.

Shahzad has a history of disciplinary issues since his club-cricket days. His attitude was first highlighted in 2008 when he was reported by manager Abdul Raqeeb for disruptive behaviour during the ICC Youth World Cup in Kuala Lumpur. He has been dropped several times from the national squad and his recent conduct on the tour of West Indies with the Pakistan squad forced the team management to recommend special counselling for him, noting that he had come from a ‘disturbed’ background.

“I am here to take all criticism but there is no need to bring my family into it,” Shahzad told reporters. “We belong to a Pathan family and we do not tarnish our family’s reputation. I don’t know what I did but if the management thinks that I have done something wrong, they should talk to me about it. I haven’t done anything wrong so I don’t really know what I should be looking out for.

“I’m not sure why I’ve been omitted from the squad despite scoring runs.”

Shahzad, who was not only snubbed from the Zimbabwe-bound squad but also the list of centrally contracted players, expressed his disappointment but remained optimistic about a comeback.

“The disappointment is obviously there after being dropped from the squad and the central contract list. But I’m young and have a lot of cricket ahead of me. I will continue to play at domestic level and keep myself up there with the performance. The rest is up to the selectors.”



Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2011.