Rumours that he is leaving Pakistani cricket have been denied by Khushdil Shah, who has described them as completely untrue and fake news. The all-rounder’s explanation came after a two-month-old interview surfaced on Friday. In it, fellow national cricket player Abbas Afridi claimed that Shah had told him he had only four months left in his career and that he would have to leave Pakistan if he was not called up to the national team.
Khushdil Shah made his international debut in November 2019 and has since participated in 15 ODIs and 38 T20Is for the Men in Green. He has taken four wickets and scored 328 runs at an average of 32.80 in ODIs. He has scored 434 runs at a strike rate of 104.08 while taking six wickets in the shortest format.
He played his last game for the Green Shirts at the 2025 T20 Asia Cup. Before losing his spot in the starting lineup for the remainder of the competition, he participated in one group-stage match against the United Arab Emirates and scored four runs.
In a story posted on his Instagram account, Shah wrote, “There’s fake news going around claiming I’m leaving Pakistan cricket and it’s completely untrue.” “Pakistan is my home, and representing this country has always been my top priority and greatest [honour],” he said.
Khushdil Shah justification centred on his emotional and professional connections to promoting Pakistan abroad. The all-rounder stressed that his commitment to the national squad is unwavering despite his recent absence from the group.
I have never wavered in my commitment to cricket for Pakistan, and I never will: Khushdil Shah
Since his last Asia Cup appearance, Khushdil Shah has not been a member of Pakistan’s national squad. The 31-year-old responded to the social media discussion about his future in international cricket following the resurfaced interview in a statement on Friday, saying, “Please don’t believe these baseless [rumours].” The Bannu native said, “My dedication to Pakistani cricket has never changed and never will.”
