“Disappointed to see cricketers playing religion card to excuse their World Cup failure,” says Ahmad Shehzad

Former Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shahzad has accused some players of “using the religion card” to deflect blame for their lackluster performance in the T20 World Cup.

Taking to X, Ahmed Shahzad took aim at Pakistan cricket team players for lying about their shortcomings that led to the Green Shirts’ disappointing early exit from the T20 World Cup tournament. 

Their abysmal performance had sparked criticism of the players' fitness and skills.

“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 their faith go when they lie about their fitness and admit to acting on the field? Does religion teach you to deceive others and lie in the field?” he wrote in his scathing post.

x.com

یہ واقعی مایوس کن ہے کہ کچھ کھلاڑی غیر ضروری پریس کانفرنس کرکے اور مذہب کا کارڈ کھیل کر ورلڈ کپ میں اپنی خراب کارکردگی کو چھپا رہے ہیں۔ جب وہ اپنی فٹنس کے بارے میں جھوٹ بولتے ہیں اور جب وہ تسلیم کرتے ہیں کہ وہ میدان میں اداکاری کر رہے تھے تو مذہب کہاں جاتا ہے؟ کیا مذہب آپ کو…

— Ahmad Shahzad 🇵🇰 (@iamAhmadshahzad) July 3, 2024

"You are paid to perform on the field, not to engage in team cliques. Religion teaches us to fulfill our responsibilities with determination and honesty, not to hide our weaknesses with lies," Ahmed Shahzad said.

The middle-order batsman furthered on, "Some spokespersons of these players are advocating for another chance. But why? This is the Pakistan team, not some local club where they can just show up. If they want another opportunity, they can form their own team and play with their friends. but not for the Pakistan cricket team anymore.”

“We will not let Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi forget the major 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 the fans get the answers they deserve, and that concrete action is taken against these players. We have taken a stand and we won't back down until this Pakistan team is back on track,” he concluded.