Quetta Gladiators replace James Faulkner with Muhammad Shahzad

Faulkner withdrew from the competition on Saturday following a public fallout with the Pakistan Super League and Quetta Gladiators, which resulted in a lengthy statement of rebuttal from the PCB

Muhammad Shahzad, who represented Pakistan at the recent Under-19 World Cup, has replaced James Faulkner in Quetta Gladiators' squad for the remainder of the Pakistan Super League.

Faulkner, the former Australia allrounder, publicly announced his withdrawal from the tournament on February 19, claiming his departure was the result of the competition's failure to "honour his contractual agreement/payments".

He also said the board had "continued to lie" to him and insisted he hadn't been paid for his participation.

However, both the Pakistan Cricket Board and Quetta Gladiators promptly denied the allegations and instead offered their own version of events in a detailed, strongly-worded statement that also confirmed it had been unanimously agreed between all six franchises to never draft him again.

According to a statement released by the PCB, Faulkner has received 70 per cent of his tournament fee – transferred to a UK bank account – and the remaining 30 per cent is due 40 days after the tournament's completion.

A PCB statement added: "In the seven years of the HBL Pakistan Super League, no player has ever complained about the nonfulfillment of the PCB’s contractual obligations.

"Instead, all players have only praised and appreciated the efforts of the PCB to make their stay, appearance and participation as comfortable as practically possible. This is evident that from the fact that most of these cricketers have continued to be part of the PCB's marquee event since 2016 and have helped the PCB to make the HBL PSL a strong and formidable brand as it stands today."

^{Faulkner hasn't represented Australia since 2017 (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)}

In the recent fifth-place playoff at the World Cup in the Caribbean, Shahzad made 73 in a 238-run win for Pakistan over Sri Lanka. Earlier in the tournament against Papua New Guinea, he recorded bowling figures of 5 for 7 in 6.4 overs.

He was not selected by Quetta for their clash with Karachi Kings on Sunday, which came less than 24 hours after news broke around Faulkner.

Among the allegations against the 31-year-old, who hasn't played for Australia since 2017, he is accused of causing "deliberate damage to hotel property", having allegedly thrown his bat and helmet onto a chandelier following the dispute.

"The PCB later received reports and complaints from the immigration authorities that Mr Faulkner had acted inappropriately and abusively at the airport," the statement also claimed.

^{Main image credit: ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2020}