Iftikhar Ahmed sharply responded to a reporter's question after being labelled a middle-order batter, with the Pakistan international describing himself as a tailender.
Once considered a dependable player, Iftikhar’s struggles to make a significant impact during both the ODI and T20 World Cups have attracted heavy criticism from fans and former cricketers in Pakistan.
Despite these difficult times, Iftikhar will have the chance to rediscover his form and demonstrate his value in the upcoming Champions Cup, where he will play under the captaincy of Mohammad Rizwan for Team Wolves.
However, a video of Iftikhar's interview ahead of the tournament has been circulating on social media, in which he makes a somewhat self-deprecating comment about his position in the batting order. After a reporter referred to him as a middle-order batter, Iftikhar, clearly annoyed, described himself as a tailender.
"I am not a middle order batter, I am a lower order batter. I am not an all-rounder, I am a tailender. If you see, I bat at No.7 or 8. And if you look at the all-rounders and middle order batters around the world, you'd see they bat at No.4 or 5. But I play at No.7 and 8 and I think of myself as a tailender," said Iftikhar.
Iftikhar's most recent appearance for Pakistan was in the 2024 T20 World Cup against India, where he batted at No.7. In total, he has batted 55 times for Pakistan in T20 Internationals. Of those innings, 25 have been at No.5, 11 at No.7, 10 at No.6, eight at No.4, and one at No.8.
In One-Day Internationals, 16 of his 24 innings have been at No.6, five at No.7, two at No.5, and one at No.4. In Tests, where he has only batted six times, five of his innings have come at No.6, with one at No.7.
This distribution makes his statement even more peculiar, as he has batted at No.7 or lower just 16 times out of 79 innings in white-ball cricket for Pakistan.
- Iftikhar Ahmed
