Pakistan all-rounder Khushdil drops bombshell 'Quranic verses' allegation after humbling Afridi, Rauf in PSL

All-rounder Khushdil Shah made shocking allegations on the current state of the Pakistan cricket team, alleging that he has been dropped from the team despite scoring plenty of runs in domestic cricket, apparently due to him not being religious enough. Khushdil dropped the bombshell after starring in Karachi Kings' five-wicket victory over defending champions Lahore Qalandars in the ongoing season of the Pakistan Super League.

Khushdil takes veiled dig at Rizwan

Khushdil had made the last of his 53 international appearance for Pakistan at last year's Asia Cup during the group-stage match against hosts UAE in Dubai. And in the post-match discussion after smashing an unbeaten 44 off 14 balls against the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf on Thursday, Khushdil revealed how he has been left out despite slamming double-hundreds in the domestic circuit.

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"Among all the players in Pakistan, I am the most different. Neither do I post Quranic verses on social media, saying that injustice has been done to me or is happening to me. Recently, in domestic cricket at number five or six, I scored 700-800 runs and also scored double hundreds, 150 plus as well, meaning I played big innings. But despite that, I am dropped from the team," Khushdil told cricketer-turned-commentator Ramiz Raja in the post-match show.

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The 'Quranic verses' comment appeared to be a dig aimed at senior wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Rizwan, who had captained the Pakistan team until recently and is known for being devout practitioner of Islam, to the point of making it an integral part of the dressing room culture.

'Want to create the maximum impact'

Khushdil's unbeaten 44 was his first major contribution in what has otherwise been a disappointing season so far, having collected just 65 runs in eight outings before his heroics against the Qalandars. The the spin-bowling all-rounder, however, is enjoying his most productive season with the ball in the PSL, collected 8 wickets so far at an economy of 9.66.

In the post-game discussion with Raja, who had recently served as Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Khushdil revealed how he wanted to "create maximum impact" for his team.

"Our team needed this badly. The position I bat in, the aim is to win 1-2 matches from there. It's the most difficult position to bat in (number 7). If you get out, the bowlers are next. I have been struggling in this position for the last 6-7 years. Want to create the maximum impact for the team with a few hits. Credit to the captain for taking the game deep," Khushdil added.