Focus remains on making my way back to Pak squad: Shahzad

Pakistan out-of-favour opener Ahmed Shahzad has said that he will leave no choice before the national selectors but to include him in the ODI squad for the upcoming Australia series with a string of great performances in the domestic cricket.

Pointing out at his good performances in the recently-concluded Big Bash League (BBL) as well as in the ongoing National One Day Cup, Shahzad said his focus now remains to get back to the national squad as soon as possible.

"The [exclusion from the Pakistan squad] did hurt in the beginning. I always used to think about it, but now I have decided not to think or cry about what happened in the past, and my focus is on how to get back in the national team," the Express Tribune quoted Shahzad as saying.

"I performed well in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), where I scored at an average of 40, which is good in shorter format of the game, and also scored a century in the final of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. In the ongoing National One Day Cup as well I've scored at an average of 61.4 in six matches," he added.

The right-hander insisted he would keep performing well consistently so as to put pressure on the national selectors to choose him.

"Next year, I will try to become the best cricketer domestically, and then internationally," he said. "I will also try not to repeat the mistakes that I have made in cricket and in life," said Shahzad, who is the only Pakistan batsman to score centuries in all three formats.

Pakistan are slated to play a five-match ODI series against Australia beginning on January 13 at the Gabba.