Pietersen to Shehzad: ‘Leave the helicopter shots to MS and I’

E-Paper | March 18, 2026

Explosive English batsman Kevin Pietersen has advised Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad to banish the ‘helicopter shot’ after the 23-year-old announced his comeback to the national side with a fifty against Bangladesh in the World T20 Super 10 fixture on Wednesday.

Shehzad, who regained his slot on the national roster after some controversy regarding his selection, displayed a wide array of shots around the ground in his 39-ball 52.

The right-hander plundered eight boundaries against the Bangladesh bowlers and smartly rotated the strike as well. He featured in two vital partnerships with Sharjeel Khan (26 runs for the first wicket) and Mohammad Hafeez (95 runs for the 2nd wicket) to ensure Pakistan posted 201.

Love seeing the good guys do so well! Well done yesterday, @iahmadshahzad! Top batting but leave the helicopter shots to MS & I! You could have got a 100! Not bad for someone who wasn't selected in the first place. 😂🙄🙈

A photo posted by KP (@kp24) on Mar 17, 2016 at 12:32am PDT

Pietersen congratulated his Quetta Gladiators teammate for his performance.

“Love seeing the good guys do so well! Well done yesterday, @iahmadshahzad!” KP posted on his Instagram account.

“Top batting but leave the helicopter shots to MS & I!” he added.

Pietersen was disappointed that Shehzad did not double his runs but believed that the right-hander did well enough to prove his selection.

“You could have got a 100! Not bad for someone who wasn't selected in the first place,” added the seasoned cricketer.

Shehzad and co. take on arch-rivals India in their second Super 10 match on Saturday at Kolkata.

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syed wasim haider

Mar 17, 2016 07:56pm

Sincere advice from a genuine person. Take it seriously.

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Zak

Mar 17, 2016 08:14pm

KP should be in the England team showcasing his talent. England's Loss!

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adnan

Mar 17, 2016 08:33pm

he is demoralizing the Pakistani cricketer, this is not 'advice' if it were advise, i am sure KP has AS's personal number or Facebook ID to talk to him directly this is deliberate use of social media to put him down. we will see other such examples as Ian Chapel has done so also that Afridi will find it difficult etc. why not comments about Indian , Srilankan team members? why just on Pakistan's team?

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Cyrus

Mar 17, 2016 08:58pm

Get the ball solidly on the bat and it will go long. Sometimes they have the eye, sometimes they don't. When you are hitting well the ball looks bigger.

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Harmony-1©

Mar 17, 2016 09:03pm

I thought helicopter shot was just MS trademark!

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Arslan

Mar 17, 2016 09:25pm

It is good advice.

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Ali

Mar 17, 2016 09:58pm

Still not convinced about Shehzad's temperament. We'll see how he does against better bowling because good performance in one match does not prove anything. I do wish him best of luck though.

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Zak

Mar 17, 2016 10:36pm

Yes, leave helicopter shots to Pieterson and instead , do space shots.

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Zak

Mar 17, 2016 10:37pm

The foreigners in PSL loved being in the pakistan league. They are waiting for it to move to pakistan.

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KP New Coach

Mar 17, 2016 11:08pm

KP could be Pakistan's new batting coach to create consistent openers!

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The Outsider

Mar 17, 2016 11:21pm

Stop taking it so seriously, gosh. It was a tongue in cheek comment to poke some fun. There is a reason for the exclamation mark and emoticons.

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Wasi

Mar 17, 2016 11:39pm

@adnan Because Afridi is irresponsible and has immature batting to lose games more often.

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Sixer From Chakwal

Mar 17, 2016 11:41pm

@Harmony-1© Now you made a point seriously

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parveez

Mar 18, 2016 12:04am

@adnan Take it easy Now days It's the best way to communicate

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AdHawk

Mar 18, 2016 12:57am

Shehzad would do well to listen. He often loses his wicket to rash strokes that indicates a temperament issue. Keep a lid on it and he can be threatening.

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Ali jee

Mar 18, 2016 01:03am

Kp come Pakistan team manager

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Imran A.

Mar 18, 2016 01:10am

That's a pretty proud statement to make. I'm have a feeling that the way we played against Bangladesh, the other teams are weary of us. It's not about Afridi or Shehzad, it's divide and conquer. It's only 11 players to confuse.

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raj

Mar 18, 2016 01:17am

I also noticed some change in his style of hitting balls.

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Ashraf M.

Mar 18, 2016 01:40am

@adnan Because both are team members in Quetta Gladiators, a sincere advice from KP, whats wrong in advising someone who threw away his wicket for a flashy shot, Ahmed Shehzad's overconfidence costs him his wicket. He needs to put his head right if he wants to become a world class batsman.

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Ravi

Mar 18, 2016 01:54am

@Zak get a reality check

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Anon

Mar 18, 2016 02:28am

Most didn't get it. KP is being KP. Egotistical among many other things. In this instance he is being cynical, not complimentary to a fine inning played by Shehzad. Request to Pak team: Could you please stagger your form. Thanks.

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PL Bakhshi

Mar 18, 2016 03:04am

If k. Pireterson could learn and now executes helicopter shots, why the youngster Shehzad can't do the same. That is the quality of a good batsman. As the career ptogreses, the batsman improvises on his deficiencies, makes corrections to errors and picks up new techniques of shots. Instead of telling the batsman to leave the helicopter shots, which are trademark of MSD he ought to have advised him as to what improvements he needs to bring while executing such cmlassical shots. His advice depicts arrogance in him which has caused his omission from representing his country, unfortunately his talent is wasted.

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Ahmer

Mar 18, 2016 03:22am

Not even MS plays that shot anymore.

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sanjay

Mar 18, 2016 04:42am

@adnan He tweets what's in his mind. Why would he reach out to everyone he has opinion on. Amazed how a compliment is received as a conspiracy to doom the pak team. Why would he try to do that. What's the incentive??? People don't spend as much time thinking about the Pak downfall as you would like to think. He played well and was complimented by some one who thinks he could have made this count in an even bigger way! End of the story.

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Azmeen

Mar 18, 2016 05:04am

Good advice & encouragement.

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Iztraab

Mar 18, 2016 07:08am

Why there is so much negativity towards pakistani cricketers. If they don't do good then there is criticism, if they do good then negative comments. For god sake let them breath.

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Shadow

Mar 18, 2016 07:56am

Another unnoticed and hardly talked about fact...while Indians have conveniently scheduled at least 3 days rest between their matches,pak has only 2 days...though not a big disadvantage , the fatigue factor both mental and physical will hurt pak more if there is ltitle time to recoup..authorities should be impartial to all teams while deciding on the fixtures.

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Mar 18, 2016 08:18am

Oh.......Kevin Pietersen, you cannot be more correct. Shahzad finds ways to get out after taking control of innings. After a long time Shahzad had a chance to really go big and he again found a way to get out to an incredibly stupid shot, so dumb founded indeed. He did not keep in account that he has hardly scored runs in so many T20 outings for Pakistan and here is the opportunity to score big, but instead he gave it away

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Rustom E Hind

Mar 18, 2016 09:01am

@adnan he is demoralizing the Pakistani cricketer, this is not 'advice' if it were advise, i am sure KP has AS's personal number or Facebook ID to talk to him directly this is deliberate use of social media to put him down. we will see other such examples as Ian Chapel has done so also that Afridi will find it difficult etc. why not comments about Indian , Srilankan team members? why just on Pakistan's team? its sad but the entire world is conspiring against Pakistan

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zulu

Mar 18, 2016 09:05am

KP is man and he proved that ,ever since i have seen him he has been kicked off as he performed well and done well with a lazy side in his national side back at home . he is flamboyant character his ad voiced is sincere

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dedar

Mar 18, 2016 09:16am

Shehzad should introduce 'Fighter Jet Shot'.

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Mar 18, 2016 09:42am

@adnan You always see the negative side. Pak now used to of Eden Garden and laready played a match there. Your first match was with BD a relatively weaker team. Stop nagging

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Gunner

Mar 18, 2016 09:42am

KP is THE man.. Gotta love him for the person he is.. Too bad he's not part of the World T20

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Pathetic

Mar 18, 2016 10:21am

KP spot on. I hope he realises himself too. I don't like such players who think 50 is enough. Now somebody else should do it. Shehzad was further humiliated when he could not handle simple catch. I hate show offs.

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Fowez

Mar 18, 2016 11:40am

@Ali But "good performance in one match" is how Afridi has thrived on the national team for a decade.

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SHADOW

Mar 18, 2016 12:06pm

There is nothing wrong in trying different things. So what if one copies a successful shot employed by MS. I am not sure if even KP executed the shot as well as MS and whether he can take the liberty of including his name with MS. If adapting somebody's technique is a crime , then no team other than Pak should bowl the reverse swing which was invented by the sultans of swing (wasim and waqar).

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Mar 18, 2016 12:45pm

If only Shahzad listens to this legend of batting he will take positive tips from it. The ball he got out he could have hit anywhere, a superb cover drive, a powerful pull to square leg, or a smack over the bowlers head. But instead he chose to play a woeful shot. Cannot understand what goes through a mind of an international player who just regained his place in the side after he was totally written off. He should be careful because this could be make or break tournament for Shahzad. Pakistan needs decent opening partnership in this World Cup, if he can provide that, than he will be hailed and if not than he will be written off. So walk carefully on what you tread.............. Mr. Shahzad

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Saeed Ahmed

Mar 18, 2016 01:45pm

Certainly this was not an advise but a comment which smells like jealousy. Despite that still Shehzad needs more maturity and consistency to keep his place in the team, this does not give right to anyone to make degrading comments like this. British players and media is always looking for only bad things on Pakistani cricket. It's hard for them to accept that Pakistan is a sovereign country and has got tremendous talent, particularly in the field of international cricket.

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Khalid (From Japan)

Mar 18, 2016 01:50pm

KP is right. I personally believe AS can easily that length off stamped ball on point boundary for four... but he tried the helicopter shot to got himself out. There are very few batsmen who can play such "orthodox" shot..... Like Great ViV, MS, AB Dev , KP and Shahid Afridi......

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Abdulla Hussain

Mar 18, 2016 02:56pm

Good advice. I think Team Pakistan should try to play attacking game in the upcoming match against India. Good fielding will prove vital for the winning team. No catch should be dropped. batsmen should not panic play. Runouts will pose a big threat for the batsmen.

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Mighty Somu

Mar 18, 2016 03:21pm

@Shadow Pak are playing at the same venue, while India had to travel from Nagpur to Kolkata. That cancels out the "extra" rest day India are getting

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Waseem Sarwar

Mar 18, 2016 04:12pm

Why so much negative comments about it. KP is just having some fun with his Quetta team mate. I remember KP was shocked to see Shahzad's name missing from initial squad for WT20 while he was speaking to commentary team in PSL final. This is a huge perk of franchise cricket as international cricketer better know each other while playing for same team.

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daada

Mar 18, 2016 05:34pm

one OK performance against an OK team should not give him the OK to play in the international squad! he should still be sitting on the bench

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Kodoo

Mar 18, 2016 06:11pm

@Fowez exactly! Lala's last t20 fifty was in 2012...

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Khash

Mar 18, 2016 08:57pm

KP Is the best senior see his interview always helping juniors.But Pakistanis r too negative

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Cricket-One

Mar 19, 2016 03:31pm

Kevin, if you are such a master of this stroke, then why are you not in the present team ?

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Sohaib

Mar 19, 2016 05:11pm

@adnan I don't get people like you who speak without any real perspective, but rather base your opinions on unfounded speculation. With reference to KP's remarks, please note that not only does KP speak as a teammate of Shehzad's, but also as a mentor and friend. Further, if you check KP's tweets since the first announcement of Pakistan's T20 world cup squad, you'd realize that he expressed disgust at Ahmed Shehzad's exclusion from the squad, and rejoiced when he was finally included. You are a paranoid so and so who just acted in a manner unbecoming of an educated, informed person. Really reflects bad on our society!

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Bored

Mar 19, 2016 08:32pm

No Originality!!! Shehzad compared with kohli and now copying Helicopter

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schal

Mar 20, 2016 05:32am

@Shadow At every step, there is conspiracy and favoritism, what the world has come to.

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