I am just a tailender not middle-order batter: Iftikhar Ahmad
Pakistan all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmad has only recently defined his new role in the team as a tailender and not exactly someone to fill the middle-order slot. That’s what Iftikhar Ahmad had to say as he cleared the air prior facing his critics in Faisalabad during Champions One-Day Cup, having left some fans bewildered over where exactly does he see himself fitting into this squad.
He features in a side that boast notable names like Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah and Salman Ali Agha alongside skipper Mohammad Rizwan for the Wolves. Iftikhar Ahmad told the media, “You will hаve tо find ѕtill bе be a рlау аѕ I am nоt mіddlе-оrdеr bat,t gее from middl-order to low order puppet, you can sесond seven d wіth fixistribute their powersprime they have been in two hour council. I am not a utility player, I bat at 9. Every where around the world, all-rounders and middle-order batters bat at No.4 or 5 but here I am now with my usual place being no.7 & sometimes even as low down as no.
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However modest his claim to fame may be perceived as such Iftikhar Ahmad has proven to be more than a utility cricketer for Pakistan.He made his international appearance during the 2024 T20 World Cup match against India when he entered the game at No 7 to score some quick runs before the end of the game In his 211 innings as a T20 international batsman he has played in various positions with a preference for batting, at No 8.
Alongside his T20 career, Iftikhar Ahmad has shown promise in ODIs too, having batted 16 from his 24 innings at No.6 He has also been a regular in Test cricket, where the majority of his innings have come at No.6 bar II appearance apiece at Nos 7 and8.
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September 5, 2021: The Champions One-Day Cup for the toughest in domestic cricket on Pakistani soil; a showdown at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium from September 12 to 29 star-studded with some of Pakistan’s best. With the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis mentoring teams- PSL 5 will expect to be a tightly contested affair. In the upcoming games, Iftikhar will play with a tailored role of his own, which makes access to his outputs intriguing enough.