PESHAWAR: Pakistan all-rounder Khushdil Shah has rejected reports that he is considering leaving international cricket after being out of the national team for an extended period.
The 31-year-old, who made his Pakistan debut in November 2019, has played 15 ODIs and 38 T20Is for the country. His most recent appearance came during last year’s ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup. Khushdil featured in only one match at the tournament, against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the group stage, scoring four runs. He was then left out of the playing XI for the remainder of the Asia Cup and was later dropped from the squad.
The rumours emerged after a two-month-old interview resurfaced on social media on Friday. In the interview, fellow Pakistan all-rounder Abbas Afridi claimed that Khushdil had told him he had around four months left to secure a national team recall; otherwise he would have to leave Pakistan.
The remarks quickly spread across social media, triggering speculation that Khushdil was considering ending his Pakistan cricket career. However, Khushdil has now put the rumours to rest. Taking to his Instagram, he described the reports as “fake” and “completely untrue”, stressing that representing Pakistan remains his top priority.
“There’s fake news going around claiming I’m leaving Pakistan cricket and it’s completely untrue,” Khushdil wrote. “Please don’t believe these baseless rumours. My commitment to Pakistan cricket has never changed and never will.”“Pakistan is my home, and representing this country has always been my top priority and greatest honour,” he added. Khushdil also urged his fans to ignore the rumours and reaffirmed that he remains fully committed to playing for Pakistan.
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