Ahmed Shehzad: “Since this was Misbah-ul-Haq’s last tournament, he said I would lead the Pakistan side after 2015 World Cup and I should behave accordingly”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad said he was told he would replace Misbah-ul-Haq as captain of the national team after the 2015 World Cup.

He noted that former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi communicated this to him at the time.

“Since this was Misbah-ul-Haq’s last tournament, he said I would lead the Pakistan side after 2015 World Cup and I should behave accordingly,” the 30-year-old was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.

Shehzad, who last played for Pakistan in October 2019, recently featured in the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) and scored 164 runs in five matches for the Rawalakot Hawks, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 41 and a strike-rate of 132.25.

Currently, he is playing for Central Punjab in the National T20 Cup, where he has amassed 68 runs in four matches at an average of 17 and a strike-rate of 111.47.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan team will be looking to triumph in their upcoming seven-match T20 series against England after losing to Sri Lanka by 23 runs in the Asia Cup final.

The first four T20 Internationals will be held in Karachi from September 20 to 25, while Lahore will host the other three from September 28 to October 2.

The men in green will then take part in a T20 tri-series involving New Zealand and Bangladesh. The series will be held in Christchurch from October 7 to 14.

Pakistan also announced their squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, which starts on October 16.

Pakistan’s Squad for England Series: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Haider Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Aamer Jamal, Iftikhar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Haris, Khushdil Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir, Abrar Ahmed

Pakistan’s 2022 T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir

Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani

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