Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, who made their respective debuts for Pakistan in 2009, were integral parts of the national team till 2016.

Their last appearance for the national team came in the three-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka in 2019.

Sarfaraz Ahmed the former Pakistan captain, shared some valuable advice with senior batters Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal before the Champions One Day Cup. Shehzad and Kamal who were key players in the national team until 2016 faced a decline in performance leading to their exclusion from the team after the T20I series against Sri Lanka in 2019. Shehzad struggled with scores of four and 13 in the series, while Akmal faced back to back golden ducks. Subsequently, they were left out of the team and they haven't played for Pakistan since.