KARACHI: Pakistan opener Ahmed Shezad got emotional while talking about his recent absence from cricket. Jio News‘Comedy talk show Hasna Mana Hai.
The 34-year-old also spoke on the sidelines about how emotional it was to watch his contemporaries move on with their lives.
Speaking candidly, Shehzad admitted that despite nearly two decades of dedication to the sport, the pain of being left out still lingers.
“Yes, I am emotional. When I am honest, it hurts me a lot. I love to play. The way you said all my batch-mates are playing – it makes them happy. I am such a person: when something good happens to someone, I feel really happy,” Shehzad said.
Reflecting on what he described as a turning point in his career, Shehzad questioned the circumstances that led to his downfall.
“But of course, I wonder why this happened. If things didn’t go this way … everything started in front of my eyes. I spent 18 years in this field, and then suddenly I see it all slipping away – I remember it, it makes me cry,” he added.
Shehzad was particularly emotional when discussing her nine-year-old son, revealing that conversations at home are often very difficult.
“It usually lasts for two or three days. The pain is intense. Your emotions go through a rollercoaster. At night, when I’m trying to sleep… and then my son — what hurt me the most at the moment, he’s nine, he wanted me to play,” she said.
“He sleeps by my side, now he is growing up, he says, Baba, I remember you playing, but can I remember you correctly?” he concluded.
The former Quetta Gladiators batsman announced his retirement from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2023, but recently criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for shortlisting his name in the local section of the PSL 10 draft. He branded the move a publicity stunt.
“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, I seem to be a part of the PSL. Are you happy now? Why don’t you talk about the players who have put everything aside for the last four or five years?” Sheshad questioned.
In a strongly worded criticism, he accused PCB officials of using players to create pre-match publicity.
“You all know that I have already announced my retirement. There are blind and idiots sitting in PCB who can’t see that they are using players to promote their product as good or bad in the market to get pre-hype,” he said.
Shehzad featured in five consecutive PSL seasons from 2016 to 2021, playing 45 matches and scoring 1,077 runs at a strike rate of 120.06, including nine fifties.
Meanwhile, the 11th edition of PSL is scheduled to be held from March 26 to May 3 following the historic auction held on Wednesday.
All eight franchises have finalized their squads, incorporating international stars, local players and emerging talent ahead of the upcoming season.
comments