World T20: Ahmed Shehzad Lights Up Tournament, Scores Fifty On Comeback

Ahmed Shehzad made an emphatic statement on his comeback to the Pakistan team after being dropped initially from the ICC World T20 squad. The dashing right-hander smashed his fifth T20 International fifty in a World T20 match against Bangladesh in Kolkata on Wednesday.

Shehzad showed his intentions by getting off the mark with a crisply driven four off Taskin Ahmed. He was ably supported by Mohammad Hafeez as the duo stitched a 95-run stand for the second wicket. Shehzad notched up his fifth fifty off 35 balls.

Shehzad was looking good to become the fifth Pakistan batsman to reach 1000 T20 runs but he departed for 52 which left him seven runs short of the milestone. However, his knock, combined with Hafeez's fifty, laid a solid platform for Pakistan.

Revival for Shehzad

Shehzad was axed from the Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup after he had a poor outing against New Zealand. In the three-match T20 series, he made just 33 runs which resulted in his omission.

Pakistan's top order missed his experience and they were dumped out in the first round of the Asia Cup. Following Khurram Manzoor's poor form in the tournament, Shehzad was recalled. Wednesday's knock versus Bangladesh has surely given stability to the Pakistan top order.