I contend that introverts make excellent speakers. Too many people confuse “introversion” with “shyness,” and they’re not the same thing. I’m not saying you confused them—just that a lot of people do. Along with energy-recharging (introverts recharge in solitude, while extroverts recharge around people) there is the issue of thinking/speaking (introverts like to form their thoughts before speaking, whereas extroverts form their thoughts by speaking). For that reason, the hardest part of public speaking for a lot of introverts is the unrehearsed before-and-after meeting of audience members. The speech itself is less of a problem, since we have prepared for it.

I wrote about this on Medium, for whatever it’s worth. For certain, “I’m introverted and uncomfortable in front of people” isn’t an excuse, and you are spot on about that.