Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad says senior players go after him since he’s good looking and good in the fashion.
New Delhi: Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has made an unusual assertion that senior players have singled him out due to his attractive appearance. Shehzad, who last represented Pakistan in 2019, has fallen out of favor, with minimal prospects for a return to the national squad. He previously declared his retirement from the Pakistan Super League in 2013, accusing all six franchises of intentionally excluding him from the tournament.
Shehzad recently appeared on a podcast hosted by Ahmed Ali Butt, where he discussed his challenges. He asserted that in Pakistani cricket, players who are attractive and have a superior fashion sense often become targets of senior cricketers, a situation he experienced himself.
“Being good-looking has caused me a lot of problems. In our field, if you look good, know how to dress, and speak well, some people start to resent you,” he said.
Shehzad did not identify any particular players who he felt were targeting him, but mentioned that some senior individuals struggled to accept his rapid ascent to fame and popularity at a young age.
“I’ve been a target within the Pakistani team for this. I’m not defending myself here, but there are others who have also faced this. If your fan following grows and people appreciate you, it’s hard for some senior players to accept,” he added.
The disregarded Pakistani cricketer discussed his background and mentioned that he focused on improving his personality after gaining recognition, but this effort was not well received by certain individuals within Pakistan cricket.
“We come from small areas. I lived in Anarkali, Lahore, and when I gained recognition, I worked on grooming myself and improving my personality. But this has also caused significant problems within Pakistan,” he said.
The 32-year-old played his final match in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) with the Quetta Gladiators in 2020. He was part of the team that claimed the PSL title in 2019. However, his performance in 2020 was not up to par, as he managed to score only 61 runs across seven innings.
Over the last five years, he has been unable to rejoin the Pakistan team due to a lack of consistency with his batting over the past decade. He has participated in 13 Test matches, 81 One Day Internationals, and 59 Twenty20 Internationals, but has not established himself as a key player in any of these formats.
