He's not a bad boy, Gayle says of sacked Shehzad

Dawn Sport Published April 4, 2015

Flamboyant West Indian batsman Chris Gayle has thrown his weight behind sacked Pakistan opener and Jamacia Tallawahs teammate Ahmed Shehzad, adding that the 23-year-old was too good of a talent to be wasted.

The 35-year-old Gayle, who played alongside Shehzad for Jamaica in the first edition of the Caribbean Premier League, is an active presence on social media and took to Twitter to nudge the Pakistan selectors.

“Heard u been drop @iamAhmadshahzad ...I know you're not a bad boy to be drop for discipline... Come on Pakistan, don't waste this talent,” the explosive Gayle, who fell out with the West Indian board earlier this year, tweeted on Saturday.

Pakistan announced the squads for the national side's Bangladesh tour on Friday, but there was no place for Shehzad in the Test and ODI sides while under-performing batsman Umar Akmal was dropped for all formats.

The new selection committee, headed by former batsman Haroon Rasheed, warned the squads that discipline would be closely watched.

“We have told the players that Pakistan comes first,” said Rasheed.

“There will be no compromise on discipline and that's why we have dropped Umar from all formats and Ahmed Shehzad from two.”

Head coach Waqar Younis had complained about Shehzad and Umar's lack of discipline during Pakistan's World Cup campaign, which ended in a quarter-final defeat to hosts and eventual champions Australia.

Umar managed just 164 runs in seven matches while Shehzad scored 222 in as many games.

Pakistan's tour to Bangladesh is yet to be announced officially and has been delayed due to public holidays in Bangladesh. Pakistan are likely to arrive in Dhaka on April 13 to start the three-ODI series from April 17 in Mirpur.

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Apr 04, 2015 06:51pm

Discipline first. But also don't forget, they are just kids of 23 and 24. Its not about a football match which is played in one day, in cricket one needs to be involved for months in a series. In a prolong stay away from family and friends, young boys do sometimes get itchy. But at the end of the day, name of the game is to appologize and do better next time. The management should also learn to manage psychology and not only moving bodies.

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Canada

Apr 04, 2015 07:02pm

I really hope they haven't given up on AS, he's still young and has talent. Perhaps its to send a warning that no ones place is guaranteed and test some new blood, which is fine. However it is time for AS to turn it up a notch and take it to the next level.

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Jazzy

Apr 04, 2015 07:07pm

No player is bigger than Pakistan and there should be zero tolerance as far as discipline is concerned.

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Arshad

Apr 04, 2015 07:14pm

What would Gayle know about discipline? Shehzad & Akmal both need to learn what it means to be "team players" and respect coaches and management.

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Mudassar

Apr 04, 2015 07:18pm

Good move by pcb. These boys are treated as heroes by our youth. Arrogant and indisciplined heroes should better be thrown out.

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Iqbal Arshad

Apr 04, 2015 07:22pm

For once I appreciate our Board and selection committee for showing spine. They need to be taught a lesson on what playing for Pakistan means.

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Anupam

Apr 04, 2015 07:22pm

displine is the main thing.india and misbhah are successfull because of thier descipline.u cannot b successful if u r arrongant and not displined

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Pakistan

Apr 04, 2015 07:31pm

Wether he was dropped or not, why was umer Amal has been dropped and what extra ordinary thing sohaib maqsood did , oh yea I remember when he played a brilliant shot against Australia.

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Aysha

Apr 04, 2015 07:32pm

he might not a bad boy but he is bad batsman for sure. He couldnt use his brain when bating , so he himself should be blamed for "wasted talent" (if there was any talent)

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RRS

Apr 04, 2015 07:36pm

CG should mind his own business and sort out your issues with your Board.

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Talha

Apr 04, 2015 07:39pm

So Shahzad has disciplinary issues for two formats but because Afridi is the captain in the T20 format he becomes a saint in the third format.

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Nisar

Apr 04, 2015 07:39pm

Waqar and moin should have been axed

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Shehz

Apr 04, 2015 08:02pm

Knowing that they can't be replaced in the 15 player squad during the World Cup, they started blackmailing tactics, even refusing to attend coaching sessions. Afridi is the one who stirred the cauldron, he too should be dropped permanently. During the South Africa World Cup, Shoaib Akhtar had a similar attitude as well. There is no I in team.

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Omar

Apr 04, 2015 08:17pm

No one should be above the law.These young guns think that their place is secure and no one will unseat them.Good move PCB.

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Nadeem

Apr 04, 2015 08:51pm

Great decision by PCB. No compromise on discipline. No one is bigger than game. Shahid Afridi though a great player of the past but not a good role model for these youngsters. He should be taken to mat also.

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Nadeem

Apr 04, 2015 08:52pm

BTW. Again players from Punjab.

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Abdul Qadir Choudhry

Apr 04, 2015 08:55pm

Kris Gyle - Shahzad should dropped from all format of cricket and play in domestic cricket, become performer, he is indiscipline arrogant and non-cooperative with coach. Akmal dropping is 100% correct, PCB is right.

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Nasser

Apr 04, 2015 09:00pm

No compromise on discipline, and performance. I would sack players of the calibre of Miandad, Imran, etc if only for reasons of discipline. Shehzad is a failure outside Asian grounds. But he is good enough to be given chances within Asia. His shot selection, as most Pakistan "batsmen" is most diabolical.

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Ahmad

Apr 04, 2015 09:12pm

No one should be bigger than team and team spirit.

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Nerry

Apr 04, 2015 09:28pm

well done pcb

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raj

Apr 04, 2015 09:34pm

Discipline is key factor of success of any team . If player is rude and mischief person then remove in single minutes.

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owais

Apr 04, 2015 09:39pm

Well done good job done,why people just beat the hollow drum tht umer akmal is talented whn he showed his talent because of him n ahmad shazad pakistan lost most of the matchs in wc 2015,kick thm even waqar younis should be kicked out

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nawab

Apr 04, 2015 09:43pm

They should have started long time ago with Afridi,He was the most undisciplined player in the team.

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Najam Saeed

Apr 04, 2015 09:48pm

Not only that they performed poorly at the world cup, they also had disciplinary problems. Pakistan First indeed. They should sit out, especially Umer Akmal. Good decision PCB.

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ariz

Apr 04, 2015 09:54pm

I think the first person to be sacked is Waqar Younas. And going forward Pakistan should refrain from hiring coaches who were super stars at in their playing years. I think we shall also look into the fact, how much of Waqar's personal ego was also influencing the players negatively. Enough with this Waqar and his planning and preparation for this team. He didn't let play those, whom he had a series before the world cup and calling those poor chaps who had no idea whether they will be part or world cup. The problem with these coaches(who had been super stars in their past), they think they are immortal and still mentally living in their past glory days.

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aftab

Apr 04, 2015 09:57pm

Neither they are good player nor good at discipline.What then to keep bearing them at cost of poor performance.Let them go ,there are many too replace them.Time waits for none.

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R.Kannan

Apr 04, 2015 10:05pm

I donot know about discipline but Sehzad had not performed well enough to be retained.

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Kashmiri

Apr 04, 2015 10:40pm

@Nadeem brother can u clearify your statement, again players from Punjab have shown lack of discipline or again players fron Punjab have been selected? Lemme tell you one thing that in both these cases you have shown lack of education, Punjab is not part of Kenya or Holland, obviously players from Punjab will be selected in Pakistani team, they cant be sent to Srilanka, I m not a Punjabi but still your comment sucks!!

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Ovais

Apr 04, 2015 10:53pm

So when Ahmed Shehzad says --> u big player urself :-p does it imply that he considers himelf in the same stature as Gayle ?? OMG

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Apr 04, 2015 10:57pm

Ok good move by PCB. Let's hope they make his exclusion permanent.

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sindhi...

Apr 05, 2015 12:00am

@Nadeem m also from sindh n being sindhi i knw there is no one in sindh who compete wid them...our cricket structure n player r far behind...so plz...

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A Shakoor

Apr 05, 2015 12:07am

well done PCB but he should have been dropped from T20 as well. No one is indispensable there are many talented players who are better than this arrogant, proud and over smart guy.

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Apr 05, 2015 12:11am

Throw them out. Good decision by PCB.

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Parveez

Apr 05, 2015 12:57am

This The PCB need people with man management skills. But I am afraid they don't have them. Every player is different and they have to be treated differently

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gul zaman

Apr 05, 2015 12:59am

@ariz well said,throw Waqar Yunis out of the management.When management is corrupt you cannot blame players.

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Wachucha

Apr 05, 2015 01:11am

Your comments are very patronising Mr. Gayle

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Haji Adam

Apr 05, 2015 01:31am

These players represent Pakistan. They are not prima donnas. If they don't behave, fire them. There is plenty of talent in Pakistan. If PCB can't find it I will.

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Arif

Apr 05, 2015 01:39am

@Arshad , i agree with u. The only criteria of a player talent should be performance only,nothing else , it is so simple.

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Arif

Apr 05, 2015 01:41am

Action , i mean performance speak louder than Gayle, who has friendship with Shehzad . Players like Fawad alam ,rizwan are sittingand waiting and i believe we have several players who will be much better than so called talented player

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Arif

Apr 05, 2015 01:44am

@Shehz . Agree and i believe Afridi is a problem maker and with him our team baance is out as he is not genuine bowler or batsman or allrounder, and he looks like conspiracy factor against captain .

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Apr 05, 2015 02:23am

@Ovais, it's nothing but language problem (English)...

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Yasir

Apr 05, 2015 03:08am

This is an extremely brave decision from PCB. Although it would have been great if Shehzad also sacked from the T20 side. Thanks to Afridi And what does Gayle know about discipline? All he knows is to back out from the national side so as to make way clear for IPL.

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arif ali

Apr 05, 2015 06:07am

U big player urself:) One big player to another! Just shows the mentality. In 65 matches, an average of 34 and strike rate of 72 in ODI's. Nothing big there.

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Shoaib A

Apr 05, 2015 07:41am

@Nadeem Shame on you, for bringing race ethnicity into this simple conversation about a game. People like you have rotten PK like a disease.

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Suhail

Apr 05, 2015 08:00am

I appreciate the board for this move....

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Pop

Apr 05, 2015 09:59am

Shehzad and Gayle have similar attitudes but Gayle has come up with big performances so he can afford to show some attitude.

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Hyder

Apr 05, 2015 04:44pm

Sir Common Chrsd Gayle be a team man yourself and sort your priorities first!!! You are fit to play in IPL but not fit to play for your country which gave you the opportunity to be what you are today??? Regards

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EBRAHIM

Apr 05, 2015 05:45pm

indiscipline should not be tolerated. He should have been dropped from old formats and should be shown as a example for all youngsters.

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Last Word

Apr 06, 2015 09:09am

Gayle is right as he coached Shehzad from his coaching script on discipline for which he himself is facing disciplinary action at home.

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wali

Apr 06, 2015 07:55pm

@Anupam bro discipline + merit = success this is what happening in indian team wish u could have couple of fast bowlers like zaheer or our wahab tht means unbeatable team

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Hoti

Apr 07, 2015 03:11am

BCCP has no management or leadership skills. Managing a cricket team of highly talented and aggressive young men is herding cats. You really need to use your skills and leadership qualities to bring the best out of them. Imran Khan as a captain knew it well, why cannot other can do same?

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