Shehzad, who is a T20 World Cup winner with Pakistan and has two international hundreds to his name, was one of the star attractions amongst a host of international stars on show at the SLPL.

Unable to make a favourable impression on the selectors for the T20World cup squad for Pakistan, the twenty year old opener Ahmed Shehzad has busied himself in some high profile tournaments such as the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL).

Shehzad, who is a T20 World Cup winner with Pakistan and has two international hundreds to his name, was one of the star attractions amongst a host of international stars on show at the SLPL.

Whilst his participation in the SLPL did not yield high returns for the young opener – scoring just 75 runs in 6 innings for the Nagenahira Nagas team - according to Shehzad the experience he gained will be invaluable for his development as a cricketer.

In exclusive remarks to PakPassion.net, Ahmed spoke of his satisfaction with the organization of the recently concluded first edition of SLPL , how much he is looking forward to a Pakistani version of the IPL and SLPL and, his plans to make his way back into the national team.

PakPassion.net: What was it like to play in the SLPL?

Ahmed Shehzad: It was great and I really enjoyed it too. It’s been tough cricket for us players and for a first time tournament it has been top notch. Full credit to the organisers who organised a great tournament. It was very meticulous planning, from the facilities and the grounds available and the standard of cricket was very good. 

There were some good international players and then there was some of the local talent who got some good exposure playing in such a high standard game. Altogether, it was a very enjoyable experience for me as I got to play with and against some quality cricketers.


PakPassion.net: You have mentioned the grounds that you played on, what has your impression been on the pitches you’ve played on? 

Ahmed Shehzad: The Colombo Premadasa stadium where we have played most of our games, offers a bit of assistance to the spinners, but otherwise it is a very good batting pitch. Whereas when we went to Kandy, the pitches supported the bowlers and as a result the games there were low scoring. But if a batsman applied himself and worked hard, they were still able to score here too. Mahela Jayawardene played a superb knock against us at Kandy and scored 96 to show us that you could still score here.


PakPassion.net: You have been given an opportunity to play with some top international cricketers, what have you learnt from them in this tournament? 

Ahmed Shehzad: Obviously, when you play with international players, you all come with different experiences and different cultures, so it is not all about what we learn as cricketers out on the field. Out of the field and on the dressing room – we learn things from them and hopefully they learn from us. This is what’s great about playing in such competitions, that you can share experiences with different types of players, but it’s not all about cricket. 


PakPassion.net: You have played in the Pakistani domestic T20 competition and also the Bangladeshi Premier League, how did the SLPL compare? 

Ahmed Shehzad: There is no replacement for the joy and excitement that you get from playing in front of your own crowd and Inshallah [god willing] we will have this opportunity. InshaAllah, there will be the Pakistan Premier League (PPL) in the near future and we'll be playing in front of our home crowd. Given that currently there isn't any international cricket going on, this will be a great addition to our domestic cricket where there will be a large crowd turnout and we can expect jam-packed stadiums. 

I am fully confident that when the PPL does happen, our cricket board, government, and crowd will be very supportive and welcoming of the international players who will be participating. The PCB Chairman has been constantly coming out with new ideas and initiatives to take our cricket forward, including the series against India and the PPL. These are great initiatives for both our cricket as well as the crowd who are eagerly waiting for international cricket to return to Pakistan. 

As far as the BPL is concerned, it was a great experience and the standard of cricket was excellent as well. The thing about these leagues is that you have to adapt to the different playing conditions and you get the opportunity to meet and play with different players from around the world. There are many challenges involved when playing in such a league.


PakPassion.net: You haven't been included in the T20 squad that was announced for the T20 World Cup and for the series against Australia, which must have been very disappointing. What are you near future plans as far as getting back in to the team?

Ahmed Shehzad: The T20 team that has been selected was perhaps the best possible team. It means that I need to work harder in order to get back into the team. I am not worried about anything else. My passion is cricket and I want to continue to represent Pakistan on the cricket field. For that, I will be working hard till my last breath. The rest is in God's hands. If I work hard hard and discipline myself, then InshaAllah, I'll be in the team. As a player, you play for different teams and participate in different leagues, earning large amounts of money. However, for any player, it is a dream to represent and play for your country and you want to make sure that you play for as long as you can. Like any other player, this is also my dream.


PakPassion.net: You recently played in the SLPL. How do you think this has impacted your professional development as a cricketer? Do you think this is something the selectors will look towards in your future selection?

Ahmed Shehzad: At the moment, I am twenty years old. For me, any amount of cricket that I play is an added bonus. These sorts of a leagues are very tough and a challenging experience. You play with many international players and get exposure to different playing conditions. The experience gained from any of these leagues is not only beneficial to the individual players, but also to our country since this will be applied when representing the country on the international stage.


PakPassion.net: Thank you very much for your time Ahmed. InshaAllah, best wishes for your future on behalf of PakPassion.

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