Throughout the T20 World Cup 2024, Ahmed Shehzad’s frustration over his consistent exclusion from the team has become evident. There appears to be tension between him and skipper Babar Azam, with whom he previously played in age-group cricket.
During a recent appearance on Geo News, the 32-year-old notably omitted Babar Azam from his all-time Pakistan XI. Shehzad explained his selections, naming Saeed Anwar and Majid Khan as his opening batsmen, followed by Zaheer Abbas, Younis Khan, and Javed Miandad.
“Saeed Anwar was a universally loved player who could dominate from any position on the field. I’ve watched many videos of Majid Khan, and his batting style was elegant with numerous records from his era,” Shehzad commented.
He continued, praising Zaheer Abbas for his pleasing stroke play and dominance over bowlers, and Younis Khan for his hard work and impressive statistics. “Including Javed Miandad was essential for me, having grown up watching his impactful performances,” Shehzad added.
In addition to these batting legends, Shehzad selected Shahid Afridi for his ability to both hit sixes and bowl spin, while Moin Khan earned the wicketkeeper’s spot for his neat takes behind the stumps. Saqlain Mushtaq was chosen for his match-winning performances and impressive statistics, alongside Mohammad Zahid, noted for his exceptional pace.
“Zahid played a limited amount of cricket, but his pace was memorable; even Brian Lara once acknowledged him as the fastest he had faced,” Shehzad recalled.
