Pakistan's big-hitting all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed has not been in great form recently. The 34-year-old last represented his country at the T20 World Cup 2024 in June.
He did receive huge backlash from the fans for his disappointing performances and his spot in the team is under scrutiny.
The seasoned campaigner has played nearly 100 matches for Pakistan across all formats, though known more as a white ball specialist. A reliant middle-order batter, Iftikhar is quite able to roll his arm with some off spin, too. He was most-recently seen playing in the Global T20 Canada.
He is currently preparing for the Champions Cup ODI domestic tournament in Pakistan wherein a video of him started doing rounds. Iftikhar was seen getting worked up after a reporter said he was a middle-order batsman.
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What did Iftikhar Ahmed say to the reporter?
When the reporter asked about the Pakistan's middle-order woes and mentioned that Iftikhar was a middle order batsman, the player was quick to oppose the reporter.
"Brother, I am not a middle-order batsman. I am a lower-order player. I am not an all-rounder, but a tail-ender. You see, I am deployed at number seven or number eight. And in world cricket, all-rounders bat at four, five, or six (position). I consider myself as a tail-ender," Iftikhar jibed.
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) September 8, 2024
Iftikhar was most likely upset at the reporter calling him a middle-order batsman since the question was about Pakistan's failing middle-order in white ball cricket. The team has been top heavy in the recent times and Iftikhar was in no mood to be questioned about his poor form.
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What is Iftikhar Ahmed's record for Pakistan?
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s/100s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI | 28 | 614 | 38.37 | 106.59 | 1/1 | 109* |
| T20I | 66 | 998 | 24.34 | 129.10 | 4/0 | 62* |
Iftikhar has scored most runs in ODIs (461 in 16 innings) while batting at the sixth position. Meanwhile, his best return in T20Is has been while batting at number five - 440 runs in 25 innings.
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