Former Test cricketer Basit Ali came forward in support of ignored cricketer Ahmad Shahzad.
Taking to Twitter, the cricketer-turned-analyst said that Quetta Gladiators made a mistake after they didn't pick opening batter Ahmad for Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 8.
Ahmad, who scored 1077 runs in 45 PSL matches he played from 2016 to 2020, went unpicked in the draft for PSL 2023 after being completely fit for the season.
He was drafted for PSL 2023 but failed to draw the attention of any franchise. The right-handed batter wasn't even picked in the replacement draft.
Ahmad's fans often interacted with him on social media asking about his non-selection in PSL 2023. In a recent twitter post after not being picked for the ongoing PSL season, Ahmad said he reminds himself of 'SABR'.
"I am what I am because of my fans. Thank you for always believing in me. From this video an advice I would like to give to my fans & also remind myself too. 'SABR'," he responded to a video shared by a fan.
In an interview with GeoSuper.tv before PSL 8's draft in December, Ahmad showed confidence in getting picked up by one of the two franchises.
Ahmad, who missed PSL 7 due to an injury, was most likely to be picked up by Gladiators.
"I am in talks with a couple of franchises. As a player, I can't force anyone to pick me, but if a player brings value to the team, they should go for him," shared the cricketer. "See, PSL is Pakistan's biggest brand and every player wants to play in it. In fact, PSL's performance matters a lot and it is very important for players to make comeback," he added.
Later, sources told GeoSuper.tv that Gladiators' head coach Moin Khan wasn't in favour of Ahmad's selection.