Ahmed Shehzad Makes Huge Claim, Reveals His ‘Good Looks’ Led to Issues in Pakistan’s Dressing Room

Former Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has shared how his appearance and growing fan base caused him trouble during his time in the national team.

Speaking on a podcast with Ahmed Ali, Shehzad revealed that his "good looks" and rising popularity did not sit well with some senior players in the dressing room.

"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," Shehzad said. He avoided naming individuals but emphasized that such resentment was a significant challenge during his playing days.

"I've been a target within the Pakistani team for this. I'm not defending myself here, but others have also faced this. If your fan following grows and people appreciate you, it's hard for some senior players to accept," he added.

Shehzad, who last played for Pakistan in 2019, had a respectable career, scoring 982 runs in 13 Tests at an average of 40.91. In 81 ODIs, he accumulated 2605 runs at 32.56, and in 59 T20Is, he scored 1471 runs at an average of 25.80. Despite his achievements, controversies and allegations of favoritism often overshadowed his performance.

Shehzad also spoke about his humble beginnings and how he worked to refine his personality after gaining recognition. "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.

Pakistan Super League Snub

The 33-year-old batter has also been vocal about his exclusion from the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Earlier, he accused PSL franchises of deliberately ignoring him despite consistent performances in domestic cricket.

"I have tried really hard in domestic cricket consistently in the last few years and did reasonably well in the National T20 Cup just before the PSL draft," Shehzad wrote on social media.

"There seems a deliberate effort to keep me out, even when franchises have opted for other performers with inferior numbers than me. But when everything is pre-planned, it doesn't matter. I don't know whose responsibility it is to get top domestic performers in the PSL then," he added.