Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selection committee, headed by former Test skipper Inzamamul Haq, has decided to drop opening batsman Ahmad Shahzad from the proposed three-match T20I series against West Indies, reports suggested on Monday. The decision has been taken after taking into consideration Shahzad’s deteriorating batting performances. The selection committee, with the consent of head coach Mickey Arthur, has also finalised a 14-member national team squad for the proposed West Indies series. The committee has proposed Arthur to give chance to all-rounder Aamir Yameen or Muhammad Nawaz in the coming series to judge their talent. Shahzad was benched in the recent series against Sri Lanka as he failed to make a mark by his innings despite given back-to-back chances.

The right-hand batsman scored 27, 22 in the two T20I matches respectively; he miserably failed in the ODI series as well where his score in two respective matches were 0 and 8. The senior batsman, who has played 13 Tests, 81 ODIs and 53 T20Is, has also been released by the Pakistan Super League’s franchise Quetta Gladiators, however, the opener is hopeful that any franchise will pick him in the drafts scheduled on November 12 in Lahore.

Published in Daily Times, November 7^th 2017.