Pacer Ihsanullah changed his mind just hours after declaring his unexpected retirement from the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The 22-year-old apologized for his behaviour and said he had made the call in the heat of the moment. After being left out of the season 10 draft, Ihsanullah formally declared his retirement from the PSL. The young star decided to withdraw from Pakistan's top T20 tournament after expressing his dissatisfaction over the lack of acknowledgement despite his steady efforts.
In an open interview with Public News, Ihsanullah expressed his disappointment at being passed over in the January 13 draft. He explained that he had studied his options and made a well-informed decision after carefully considering the matter. The pacer also said that he would make the people who doubt him 'chase him' when he will bowl at a pace of 150-160 km/h.
Ihsanullah takes u-turn
Ihsanullah has since retracted his claims, claiming that his decision to resign was only motivated by feelings, as quoted by ARY News. Additionally, the 22-year-old said that his family and friends had messed with his head.
"There’s no plan for retirement, I announced the decision yesterday in emotions. When I wasn’t picked in the PSL draft, my friends & family also messed with my head and I announced retirement in the heat of the moment," said Ihsanullah
Ihsanullah also apologized to the Multan Sultans for his remarks and promised to put in a lot of effort and return to domestic cricket in order to secure buyers the next time. Ihsanullah immediately attracted the attention of selectors and secured a place in Pakistan's T20I squad after making a name for himself with an outstanding 22 wickets at an economy rate of 7.59 during the PSL 8 for the Multan Sultans. He played in a series against New Zealand after making his debut for his country against Afghanistan in March 2023. That same series also saw Ihsanullah win his first ODI cap.
An elbow injury, however, quickly put an end to his promising career and caused a great deal of criticism regarding how his recuperation was handled. The chief medical officer of Pakistan resigned as a result of an independent examination into the issue, underscoring the poor management of his recovery. Ihsanullah returned to competitive cricket in the Champions T20 Cup after being out for months. His comeback was a significant step in his attempts to restore form and fitness, even though it only resulted in two wickets in four games.