The Pakistan Super League (PSL) management addressed national cricketer Ahmad Shahzad's recent criticism regarding his name being included in the league’s players’ list despite his retirement last season.
Expressing his thoughts on Samaa Digital programme, "Zor Ka Jor", Shoaib Khalid, Manager Partnerships and Player Acquisition, clarified the PSL's player registration policy. "The law states that local players are not registered manually," he stated, adding, "Any local player actively participating in the domestic cricket automatically qualifies to play in the PSL."
Providing further details, Khalid explained the basis for Shahzad’s inclusion. "Last year, Ahmed Shahzad represented the WAPDA in domestic cricket, which made him eligible for the PSL," Khalid revealed.
He refuted Shahzad’s claims, saying, "If a player announces retirement through a video, how are we supposed to determine that he has officially retired?"
Khalid said: "Ahmed Shahzad had not informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in writing about his retirement. He [Ahmed Shahzad] did not communicate his retirement to any PCB official in writing."
The matter erupted after Shahzad criticised the PCB and PSL management for using his name.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board and the PSL thought of selling the league using my name," Ahmad Shahzad alleged in a public statement.
He also expressed confusion, stating, "It is beyond understanding why my name was included despite my retirement last season."
Watch live coverage