Pakistan's opening batter Ahmed Shehzad expressed strong disapproval of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its management for listing his name in the local category of the PSL 10 draft, despite his retirement from the league.
The cricketer made his frustration clear during a candid discussion on his YouTube channel.
Shehzad, who last represented Quetta Gladiators and announced his retirement from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2023, criticized the move, labeling it a publicity stunt by the PCB.
"PSL 10 is going to happen, and the interesting thing about it is that I am also playing. For the last three or four days, it seems like I am part of PSL. Are you happy now with the hype? Why don't you talk about those players for whom you have set everything aside in the last four to five years?" Ahmed questioned.
In a fiery critique, the right-handed batter accused the PCB of using players as tools for pre-tournament publicity.
"You all know that I have already announced my retirement. There are such blind and foolish people sitting in the PCB who can’t see that they use players to create hype by presenting them as good or bad in the market, just to gain pre-hype for their product. These are the kinds of people they have appointed," he said.
Shehzad took to his platform to officially address the widespread rumors surrounding his availability for the upcoming PSL 10.
"On a serious note, I want to address the misunderstanding among my fans and some others who think that I have withdrawn my retirement for the PSL and that I am available for PSL 10," he said.
The 33-year-old reiterated that he stands firm on his principles, particularly regarding merit in Pakistan cricket.
"People think I’ve changed my stance and the position I took against the PCB and Pakistan cricket, especially regarding the disregard for merit and the issues faced by domestic players. Let me clarify—that’s not true," he said.
"My decision to leave the PSL stems from the absence of merit and the prioritization of connections over genuine talent," he added.
He also clarified that neither he nor his agent had submitted his name for the PSL 10 draft.
"Neither I nor my agent have submitted my name for the PSL 10 draft. The names of local players in the draft are added by the PCB, and they are the ones who decide the categories," he said.
"I am not available for PSL 10, and I don’t want to play in it. They have included my name in the draft purely for false, cheap publicity and to generate pre-hype," he concluded.
It is pertinent to mention that the draft for the aforementioned league is slated to take place today at Huzuri Bagh, Lahore, as the six franchises aim to finalize their squads for the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled a revised pick order for the PSL 10 draft.
The previous three Platinum categories have been consolidated into two, while the number of Diamond categories has been reduced from three to one.
Additionally, the Gold categories have been reduced from three to two and the Silver categories have been trimmed from five to three.
In terms of the draft pick order, Lahore Qalandars have secured the first pick in the Platinum 1 category, followed by Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Sultans and Islamabad United.
Meanwhile, Quetta Gladiators will kick off the Platinum 2 category with the first pick, followed by Karachi Kings.
- Ahmed Shehzad