Pakistan pacer Ihsanullah decided not to play in Pakistan Super League (PSL) again and vowed to prove everyone wrong by bowling 150-160 km/h after the 22-year-old found no takers in the season 10 draft that took place on Monday. , who rose to spotlight after his impressive performances in PSL 8, told Public News that his decision is a well-thought one and not taken based on emotions.
Following his 22-wicket show in PSL 8 at an economy of 7.59 for Multan Sultans, Ihshanullah soon found a place in the Pakistan T20I squad where he made his national team debut against Afghanistan in 2023. However, his international career was cut short due to an elbow injury.
His recovery wasn't smooth as one would have expected and recently made his comeback into competitive cricket in the Champions T20 Cup, taking two wickets in four matches.
“I just don’t want to play franchise cricket anymore. It’s over after today. I completely boycott it and retire from the PSL. I won’t be seen in the PSL again. I want to represent Pakistan by performing in domestic cricket, not by playing in the PSL,” Ihshanullah said.
Expressing the neglect from Multan Sultans, Ihsanullah revealed no one from the franchise even called him up. "No one has contacted me; you know this world is selfish. If you perform, these franchises will come after you. My goal is to make them chase after me.
"I need to perform like that. I’ll bowl at a pace of 150-160, and those who have said I’m a 130-135 bowler, in one and a half months, I’ll show them that I wasn’t the same bowler who played in PSL 8 and got injured. I’ll look much better than that,” he added.
Ihsanullah's bowling at 150-160 km/h reference came after one of the Multan Sultan officials doubted the pacer's abilities. “It is a very sad development, but we got Ihsanullah consulted with a top surgeon, who gave us some really bad news, saying that ‘guys, I can do the surgery, but no matter what I do, there is so much scarring from his previously botched surgery that his arm will never become perfectly straight, and he will never be able to bowl in the same way because he does not have a straight arm.’ So, it is so unfortunate that one person ruined a player’s career to hide his mistake,” said one of the Multan Sultan officials.
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