“Unnecessary press conferences and playing the religion card” – Ahmed Shehzad blasts Pakistan cricket team after 2024 T20 World Cup failure

Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has slammed the Men in Green weeks after they crashed out in the group stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup on Wednesday, July 3. The 32-year-old blasted the players for holding unwanted press conferences and playing religion cards following their poor performances in the mega ICC event.

Shehzad also alleged Babar Azam and Co. made grouping in the team, a topic he has raised several times.

Shehzad wrote on X (Urdu translation by Google):

“It is really disappointing that some players are hiding their poor performance in the World Cup by holding unnecessary press conferences and playing the religion card. Where does religion go when they lie about their fitness and when they admit they were acting on the field? Does religion teach you to deceive others and lie in the field?

“You are paid to perform on the field and you join the grouping in the team instead. Religion teaches us to fulfill our responsibility with full determination and not to lie about our suffering,” he continued.

Shehzad’s reaction came hours after Mohammad Rizwan promoted religion in a press conference. The wicketkeeper-batter said in a video shared on X:

“I think that every person is a brand ambassador for two things. If he is a Muslim, he represents Islam wherever he goes in the world. Secondly, he’s a brand ambassador of Pakistan. What people say, we don’t care about that.”

“We will not let PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi forget the big surgery he promised” – Ahmed Shehzad on Pakistan's 2024 T20 World Cup failure

Ahmed Shehzad also asked PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to post-mortem Pakistan’s failure at the 2024 T20 World Cup. He wrote on X (Urdu translation by Google):

“Some spokespeople for these players want them to be given another chance, but why? This is the Pakistan team and it is not their home team where they can play. If they want another chance, they can make their own team and play with their friends but not for Pakistan cricket team anymore.

“We will not let PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi forget the big surgery he promised. Some players of the Pakistani team are now even mocking the chairman's statement because they don't care. But we will make sure that fans get their answers and action is taken against these players. We have taken a stand and we will not back down until this Pakistan team is back on the right track,” Shehzad added.

Meanwhile, 12 Pakistan players have been given NOCs to play in the Major League Cricket, Caribbean Premier League, County Cricket, Lanka Premier League, World Championship of Legends, and The Hundred.