Ahmed Shehzad, while talking to DawnNews in Dubai, said he is determined to give his best once he is called back to the national squad.

"There are very few players that have had smooth careers, where they scored effortlessly in every match. Most of us struggle at one point or another, it is part of the game," he said, presenting a positive outlook on his exclusion from the national squad for nearly seven months.

"Even great players like Kohli, who has amazing form, go through bad patches; but the people around him supported him and helped him get over the phase," Shehzad said, talking about India's hard-hitting batsman.

"The point is to have a support system when you're down, all great players have that. But even when one does not, they should be their own support," he said, while talking about how he remained positive through the patch.

"I was lucky that Wasim bhai and Inzamamam bhai guided me and told me to focus on staying positive through this patch. I have vowed to play better than before whenever I am brought back into the team," he added.

Shehzad said that he had a great run in the domestic season this year, and that was because of the help he had from former players that he looks up to.

Taking about the changes in the national One Day International squad's leadership, he said, "Sarfaraz is our new captain, we all know he is a fighter at heart. It is up to the whole team to support him and succeed as one unit."

Talking about his coping mechanism, Shehzad said he leaned on his family while going through the rough patch.

"When I was going through a bad phase my family, especially my wife and mother and they kept me on the right track."

Shehzad has not been a part of Pakistan's international Test and ODI squad for over a year, while he played his last international T20 match in March 2016.

There has been much controversy surrounding the player, as he was often criticised by the team management for having 'attitude problems'.