Shehzad not axed from ODIs for indiscipline: Haroon
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ISLAMABAD: Chief selector Haroon Rasheed on Wednesday rejected all speculations regarding Ahmed Shahzad having disciplinary issues which resulted in the ouster of the opener from the ODI squad for the ongoing series against England.
According to speculative reports, head coach Waqar Younis and other members of the team management had benched 23-year-old Shehzad for the ODI rubber in the UAE due to the right-handed opener’s improper conduct.
However, Haroon rejecting this very impression said Shehzad had not been dropped from the ODIs due to his behaviour or any disciplinary issue.
“Shehzad was dropped from the ODIs as he didn’t make a place in the playing XI,” Haroon said, adding it’s only the media that had created hype into the matter and nothing else.
Waqar, Haroon claimed, had said that Shehzad was dropped from the ODIs as he didn’t make a place in the playing XI and will be included in the team whenever he earns a place.
Shehzad, who made ODI debut back in 2009 against Australia at Dubai, has featured in 72 one-dayers so far scoring 2,472 runs at the average of 34.81. He has amassed six hundreds and 13 half-centuries. In 2015, Shehzad collected 557 runs (average 34.81) with the help of four half-centuries in 16 ODI outings.
When asked whether Shehzad would play in the T20 series against England in the UAE as he was named in the squad, Haroon said: “Our duty is to pick the 15-member team; it is up to the team management whether to include Shehzad in the playing XI.”
Speaking on the chances of Umar Akmal’s selection in the T20 squad, Haroon said the batsman’s case was with PCB chairman and a decision on it was yet to be taken.
Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2015
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Comments (23) Closed
Nov 19, 2015 08:38am
The chief selector and the coach both are needed to be replaced, as their choices no one can understand. How come Ahmad Shehzad and Umar Akmal don't earn their places but Asad Shafiq had been earning a place in the limited overs team despite him scoring at a SR of 60 and averaging nothing more than 24. Nothing makes sense. Pakistan ODI team should have Ahmad Shehzad, Umar akmal, Fawad Alam and Haris Sohail in the playing eleven. They all are capable of playing big innings. Give Umar Akmal a proper chance at number 4 and let him play his game. We never used him right. In half of his matches, he came out to bat when upper 5 had played a tuk tuk game and then he was asked to play Afridish game.
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Nov 19, 2015 08:59am
either send him back home or start him, no point in having him sit on the bench that's how Asad Shafiq's career has been ruined.
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Nov 19, 2015 09:00am
Ahmed shahzad has discipline issues which would damage atmosphere of team. I support team management on this.
Although Pakistan has young inexperienced team, they are good fighters. They were taken aback firstly by injury to yasir shah and then 3 runnouts.
Its all part of game and we are in a rebuilding phase.
Pakistan need a middle order batsman with decent technique to stay at the wicket. In the absence of Misbah and younis in the middle order, Asad seem to be the perfect man.
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Nov 19, 2015 09:16am
His slow and cowardly opening batting in ODI`s is one of a major contributors in our placement at 8th ranking in ICC. He deserved to be left out.
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Nov 19, 2015 09:21am
Sheer injustice to the talent shehzad has, I wonder when will the selectors mature.... He should be permenantly in playing eleven. The wrong policies are costing Pakistan matches
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Nov 19, 2015 09:29am
Before retirement of Misbah, some analyst hinted that Ahmad Shehzad is better choice for captaincy of ODI; however, the team not only ignored such calls but in order to justify Azhar's captaincy they sidelined Ahmad Shehzad.
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Nov 19, 2015 09:55am
I don't understand how you can just sideline the opening batsman who has been a regular in the side, in all three formats, for more than a year now. It is just a shame that Ahmad Shahzad is sitting out while Pakistan struggle, not only to keep wickets in the first 10 overs, but also to maintain a healthy run-rate. And then there is the case of a specialist batsman in Asad Shafiq being totally overlooked in the middle order.
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Nov 19, 2015 10:07am
All those making Negative comments about Ahmed Shahzad just simple answer to them " like a man cant give birth to a child, it is same like middle order batsman cant open the batting" Ahmad shahzad is the only specialist opener in your squad why he is not in playing eleven if you think he is not capable dont select him, when you playing any series against any team should consider team combination at the time you selecting where is the specialist opener in your team, ( AZHAR good test batsman Hafeez Never relay on him he ordinary batsman perform here and there) where is your openers? we dont have any opening batsman in pakistan domestic?
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Nov 19, 2015 10:08am
There is only specialist and deserving opening batsman in pakistan cricket at the present is Ahamed shahzad his technique as a opener is better than Azhar, Hafeez, Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Shoaib Malik, Rizwan, Sarfraz,.. Bet me if you know cricket i can prove you that Ahamed shahzad'd batting technique is better than above all if dont agree you know nothing about cricket.
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Nov 19, 2015 10:16am
PCB is best is ruining careers of youngsters. Waqar has issues with Shehzad and this is the only reason why he is warming the bench, nothing else. And now Babar Azam's career is also being ruined by having the middle order batsman to open the innings. Its all craziness, but natural to PCB. Waqar and not Shehzad should have been removed.
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Nov 19, 2015 11:43am
The biggest joke is to have Azhar as a one day opener he is a good test player not only we have put him in the team but made him a captain wow Qadoos to our Think Tank and Team Management
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Nov 19, 2015 11:51am
@Raja our rebuilding start from the ending of world cup and continues through to the next one. As yonas khan was tested as an opener in the crucial match against india in 2015 world cup.
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Nov 19, 2015 12:08pm
@Yasir Zeb i think he has the same (if not more) technical issues as Hafeez and Azhar. It is a common error for Pakistani batsmen since forever. None of them can play the ball moving away from off-stump pitched at good length. I would NOT rate Shahzad as a better opener than the other two. I think Hafeez is definitely the best amongst these three. I would go for Sarfraz and Hafeez.
PS. Please dont give childish judgments about people who do not agree with you. Learn to accept difference of opinion without having such dogmatic viewpoint.
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Nov 19, 2015 12:45pm
@ahmad To be honest with you, Ahmad shahzad never struggle with moving balls infact he scored runs in New Zeland South Africa under pressure he played, i can bet you hafeez was never relayed man, its been a decade he is playing but still struggling with seaming deliveries, accept or not your opinion but Ahmed Shahzad is the only Opening batsman pakistan have, and we should put our weight behind him, hafeez even struggled in UAE against Styen Swinging seaming ball, sarfraz is a middle order batsman he was never a opening material. point out single player whose technique is better than ahmad shahzad as a opener....
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Nov 19, 2015 01:00pm
@ahmad New Zealand Best Bowling Side ( Avg against NZL Best ( 115 50s 2) South Africa Best Bowling Attack ( Avg 38.66 102 Best 50s 2) Sri Lanka Best bowling unit ( 124 Best avg 67 1 50),,, Overall ODI avg 35 Strike Rate 73 Test Overall AVG 43.05 Strike Rate 54 T20 111 Highest RUN scorer for Pakistan Stirke Rate 115 Averg 26.54, (Hafeez ODI Avg 32 172 Matches) Test AVG 40 47 Matches,, You still think he is better than Shahzad forget it if you have better stat for any other current opener give me will trust him..
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Nov 19, 2015 01:41pm
England must be heaving a sigh of relief that we have benched two of our most explosive players, Shehzad and Akmal.
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Nov 19, 2015 03:18pm
@javeed, I think we have heard enough about Ahmed Shahzad' talent but facts tell us otherwise. He does play a good inning once in a while but most times, he wastes balls and brings enormous pressure on himself and entire team by playing dots and loosing wicket at crucial time. Before selecting him for national team, I think he should be coached about correct techniques of a successful opener.
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Nov 19, 2015 03:41pm
@Javed, oh man, don't abuse the word "talent". This guy has a strike rate of 72. How can you win a game at such a slow rate when 280 - 300 is a normal score in ODIs now a days. Where is his talent you are referring !
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Nov 19, 2015 03:42pm
I think this decision was coming as Ahmed is a good player but he is not consistent in Odis.He is fit for 20 20 but his temprement is not what is neded in ODI...good decision I say
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Nov 19, 2015 03:57pm
11 straight series loss on its way under Waqar Yonus... he didn't deserve as coach
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Nov 19, 2015 10:41pm
Mr. Haroon please do justice with Ahmed Shahzad...he is a very good player...
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Nov 20, 2015 12:55am
Waqar has ego issue it wasSarfraz in World cup, now Shahzad.
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Nov 20, 2015 07:44am
Ahmed Shahzad is a victim of petty politics of the team management especially Waqar Younas. The coach Waqar Younas should be sacked and replaced with somebody who is not biased and must have a cricketing sence. We all know why the great Younas Khan and Shahid Khan Afridi resigned from captaincy when Waqar was the coach.
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