Shahzad made his ODI debut during Afghanistan's tour to the Netherlands on 30 August 2009 at VRA Cricket Ground. In the second match of the series, he made Afghan cricketing history by becoming the first Afghan to score a century in a One Day International match, scoring 110 runs as Afghanistan won the match by 6 wickets. Shahzad was a member of Afghanistan's 2010 ACC Trophy Elite winning squad, which defeated Nepal in the final by 95 runs. In July 2010, Shahzad was part of Afghanistan's team in the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division One tournament, and he scored two half-centuries (both against the Netherlands) to help Afghanistan finish 3rd in the tournament, and another century in the first ODI of the series. In August 2013, in a series against Namibia, Shahzad scored a century and a half-century in two wins. T20I cricket In February 2010, Shahzad made his Twenty20 International debut against Ireland as part of a tri-series in the lead-up to the 2010 World Twenty20 Qualifier. Shahzad was then a key member of Afghanistan's squad for the World Twenty20 Qualifier, as he scored 65 in Afghanistan's successful run chase in the tournament final against Ireland. He was later named in Afghanistan's squad for the World Twenty20. In the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, Shahzad scored three half-centuries, including one in the tournament final against Ireland. Afghanistan lost the match but qualified for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 regardless. During the World Twenty20, he played in both of Afghanistan's matches against India and South Africa. In a two-match Twenty20 series against Scotland in March 2013, Shahzad made scores of 55 and 46 and was named the player of the match in both games. Shahzad then played in both the 2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier and the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. He went into the World Twenty20 in poor form, making consecutive scores of 7, 22, 0, 22 and 0, but he broke this form slump in Afghanistan's match against Hong Kong, when he scored 68 runs from 53 balls in a seven-wicket win. Shahzad played two explosive innings in the 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, making scores of 74 against the United Arab Emirates and 75 against Scotland. His innings against Scotland was part of Afghanistan's highest ever score to that point (210) and his partnership with Asghar Afghan reached 110 runs in 63 balls, the biggest partnership