Daily Times

KARACHI: Controversial batsman Ahmad Shahzad, who was provisionally suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board for failing a dope test, has been sacked as captain of his departmental team in the domestic circuit. The 26-year old opener has been removed from captaincy by Habib Bank Limited (HBL), and his name is not included in the list of probables for the upcoming Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He has also been excluded from the PCB’s new central contract for the players. Shahzad was provisionally suspended and charged by the PCB after an independent review confirmed in July that he tested positive for a banned substance. The cricketer submitted his response to the charge sheet after legal consultation later in the month. The batsman has struggled to nail down a place in the Pakistan squad in recent years but played in the two-match Twenty20 series in Scotland in June, where he scored a combined 38 runs as the visitors recorded commanding victories. He has represented Pakistan in 13 Tests, 81 ODIs and 57 T20 internationals. When an HBL official was approached on the matter, he said that Shahzad was still a part of the side but he won’t be included in the 25-man squad until he is cleared by the PCB. “We will include Shahzad in the squad if he is given clean chit by the board. We will pay the legal fees to ensure his place in the side,” an HBL official said.

Published in Daily Times, August 4^th 2018.