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[VIDEO] Is Iftikhar Ahmed the finisher Pakistan needs?

Yes he usually played defensive but he had a team full of monkeys batting. He can defintely hit big. The guy has one of the fastest centuries in Test cricket... (100 off 54 i think) vs Australia!!

He does have that century however he was the captain of his team so he was just as responsible for having those monkeys batting in his team. The guy does not even have one century in ODI. So if he really was the batsmen you claim he was he would have had plenty.
 
He does have that century however he was the captain of his team so he was just as responsible for having those monkeys batting in his team. The guy does not even have one century in ODI. So if he really was the batsmen you claim he was he would have had plenty.

How is he responsible for players like Shehzad/Akmal's/Younis/Nasir/Hafeez etc batting poorly and slowly?

It's not like players were purposely playing slow, they were just bad and would crumble under pressure and dot balls. Every team gets stopped in their tracks when they're like 30/3 in the first 10 overs. And it's hard to score runs quickly in UAE anyways.
 
Zaman to 6 can open things up.

Abid through conventional shots can score as quickly and more consistently - chiefly because he appears to punish strays to the leg side by bowlers.

Sharjeel needs to revisited in this age of LOIs, fitness/clearance permitting.

Imam might be the fall guy in this scenario...

Sharjeel
Abid
Babar
Haris
Sarfraz
Zaman
Ifthikar
Imad
Amir
Shaheen
Rauf

Imam Shadab Naseem would be the bench
 
Iftikhar is looking great. He seems like a confident stroke maker and he is technically really sound.

Great find. He should be a regular.
 
How is he responsible for players like Shehzad/Akmal's/Younis/Nasir/Hafeez etc batting poorly and slowly?

It's not like players were purposely playing slow, they were just bad and would crumble under pressure and dot balls. Every team gets stopped in their tracks when they're like 30/3 in the first 10 overs. And it's hard to score runs quickly in UAE anyways.

He’s responsible because he picked them in his side. If the players were not performing than is it not the captains job to get the best out of them? If the best was this than why were they not replaced? I am pretty sure Misbah didn’t do captaincy with his arms tied behind his back.

Anyways I made my point, Misbah does not even have one century in ODI so he’s hardly the batsmen the other poster described him to be.
 
He does seem to have an easy to eye technique and can shift gear when needed. Good back foot game. Decent offies, not a bad fielder.

Not to mention, a handsome FC average.

A lot is going well for Ifti youngster.
 
Need to be close to finishing for him to do his magic....
 
You can’t blame any batsmen that came after sarfraz and iftikhar. Both of them robbed the others of a chance to contribute.
 
You can’t blame any batsmen that came after sarfraz and iftikhar. Both of them robbed the others of a chance to contribute.

Mainly Sarfraz, Iftikhar while not playing amazingly quick was still playing over a run a ball and could've launched anytime. Not only did Sarfraz play slow as hell he also ran Iftikhar out.
 
He was playing good until our captain ran him out
 
Felt sorry for him.

He was at least trying to win the match and build momentum in the innings, unlike the skipper batting with him who seemed to be playing for his own average.
 
Misbah quotes from his presser today:

"Iftikhar Ahmed and Umar Akmal have been brought in the team so that we have some power in the team. When you try out something then you need to have some patience and you shouldn't be so harsh on players, that you give judgement after one innings. If you look at Umar Akmal's performance, over the last year everyone was asking why he didn't get a chance because he scored runs in every format in domestic cricket. So if you bring someone on the basis of that and then after one match you press the panic button and say see what he did 8 years ago etc., I think that's unfair"
 
Iftikhar Ahmed dropped even though he has been scoring runs regularly?

So where exactly was the 'chance' and backing in the case of Iftikhar Ahmed? Did he commit the mistake of scoring runs regularly therefore he had to make way for guys who are unreliable and actually failed last game?

Im becoming sick of this system. Where is the merit? Where is the respect given to newcomers who actually perform?
 
surprised that Shahzad and Akmal are still there happy that Faheem is not in the playing eleven I would love to replace him with someone like amir yamin or zafar Gohar because he is useless and he got countless chances so its enough of him now
 
Was the only guy who was actually playing well in the first T20I but Sarfaraz had other ideas. I'm all for him being dropped if he is to become a permanent member in the next series.
 
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Top scorer in the first T20I.
Run-out by the skipper.
Dropped for the next match.

Pakistan cricket zindabad.
 
Crazy how Iftikhar is batting behind Sarfraz and Asif Ali

Pakistan needs to play a T20I Top 6 of:

Fakhar
Babar
Haris
Malik/Hafeez
Iftikhar
Imad
 
Yeah sure remain notout till end to have something to whine about in future .

hit useless six and did not tried again i wonder what was reason can you give me one?
Were you watching some other match? He tried every ball.
 
Were you watching some other match? He tried every ball.

Actually i was but will give him benefit of doubt as he has very little ball left and can understand his fear to not losing a wicket

We will be back on this thread after aus series 🙂
 
The guy has not been out once by the Bowlers since they have played in Pakistan?
 
May as well have sent him in at number 11. What was the point of sending him in so late in the order?

Ridiculous tactics.
 
No bowler took his wicket - remained not out so deserves a chance up the order?
 
Flavour of the season it seems - included in both squads for Australia tour
 
The thing that strikes me the most is that, unlike a lot of the others coming through, Ifti is capable of hitting pace and also playing the short ball. I hope he keeps this up, and improves from here.
 
Have to give him credit - he’s done what we have lacked since Razzaq/Afridi days.

But is he the finisher Pakistan finally has? Too early to say. Consistency must be shown. As we have seen what has happened with likes of Maqsood and Fakhar now.
 
Haha glad to see him succeed. Deserves it for the efforts he has put into domestic cricket the past few years.

Where’s Mamoon?? Is he still complaining about Iftikhar’s “age”?
 
Bro I am officially a fan not because of this innings just that 147.8 kph thunderbolt Yorker he whipped off of starc for almost a like it was some galli bowler bowling
 
Newcomer syndrome.

No team knows how to bowl to him right now. Im sure after 10 matches, Iftikhar will be struggling to reach 25.

But to Iftikhar's credit, he's done his hard yards in domestic cricket so he'll obviously be a much better batsman than Fakhar and should be able to adapt.
 
Newcomer syndrome.

No team knows how to bowl to him right now. Im sure after 10 matches, Iftikhar will be struggling to reach 25.

But to Iftikhar's credit, he's done his hard yards in domestic cricket so he'll obviously be a much better batsman than Fakhar and should be able to adapt.

Not so quick - he has been doing this for a while now
 
The guy hasn't put a foot wrong since Misbah selected him.

Needs to bat before Asif 'Wasteman' Ali
 
Should be batting at 3.

This makes sense. Averages 165 in T20+ODI combined with a strike rate of 151.37

Promote him and let’s utilise most of his ability. The again, I’d also like to see Umar Amin given a chance.
 
60 odd off 30 balls against Australia, in Australia who are preparing to win the world T20 at home. This is no easy feat and speaks volumes about the character of this player.

Finally Pakistan have found a guy who will play against the big boys with guts!
 
Highest T20I Score by No.6 Batsman In Australia

Iftikhar - 62* (Today)
Finch - 53* (2011)
Dhoni - 48* (2012)
 
We need batting line up that looks something like this for the WCT20

1. Sharjeel
2. Babar (c)
3. Kamran (wk)
4. Iftikhar
5. Khushdil
6. Power hitter. (not Asif Ali please)
7. Imad
 
Not so long ago people were making fun of him and his selection without anything objective. How the tide changes.
 
We need batting line up that looks something like this for the WCT20

1. Sharjeel
2. Babar (c)
3. Kamran (wk)
4. Iftikhar
5. Khushdil
6. Power hitter. (not Asif Ali please)
7. Imad

No Kamran please. Are you ok?

And Sharjeel must prove himself in domestic cricket first.
 
One failure and he will be labelled as a 'hack'.

True and that is most of the Pakistani fans for you who take everything they believe to the heart and if its proved wrong somehow it becomes personal with them and the first glimpse of weakness by the player they dont like they jump all over him. What surprises me is that instead of supporting a player who has improved and can do well for Pak or honestly criticizing him they let their egos come in the way.
 
True and that is most of the Pakistani fans for you who take everything they believe to the heart and if its proved wrong somehow it becomes personal with them and the first glimpse of weakness by the player they dont like they jump all over him. What surprises me is that instead of supporting a player who has improved and can do well for Pak or honestly criticizing him they let their egos come in the way.

You are right.
Time to change your avatar tho. :D
 
Not so long ago people were making fun of him and his selection without anything objective. How the tide changes.

Misbah brought this guy from nowhere to backing him in the PSL and then finally the national team.

Our typical awaam kept making fun of Iftikhar and Misbah. But, Misbah knew his potential.

In 2 years time we'll be a solid team. Current focus is building the team and finding our flaws.
 
Misbah brought this guy from nowhere to backing him in the PSL and then finally the national team.

Our typical awaam kept making fun of Iftikhar and Misbah. But, Misbah knew his potential.

In 2 years time we'll be a solid team. Current focus is building the team and finding our flaws.

Building using Irfan, Wahab and Imran Khan Sr? We already knew these guys were flawed, why test them again when we already know what the results will be. While experience is good a lot of the times, the experience of such players is just harmful to the team and the young quicks who are "learning" from these TTFs.

Iftikhar looks good and definitely better than Asif Ali.
 
This makes sense. Averages 165 in T20+ODI combined with a strike rate of 151.37

Promote him and let’s utilise most of his ability. The again, I’d also like to see Umar Amin given a chance.

Lol how many chances must Umar Amin be given? We've been hearing about Umar Amin since 2008.
 
But u must know one more fact that he is a brilliant fielder as well and he has a decent bowling plus he is a very good batsman against spin and fast bowling as well
 
He hit boundaries all around the ground from point to square leg which impressed me the most because it meant he was playing the ball on merit. Unlike Asif and fakhar who just want to wit everything towards midwicket especially under pressure
 
Yes we had the thread "Asif Ali the finisher/clean striker pakistan need" and we all know where Asif Ali is ... well he is in team based on friendship but not helping pakistan win games....
 
Iftikhar definitely should be given a long run in the t20 team. He seems like a clean striker who has a wide range of shots. He is much better than Iftikhar. If Khushdil does well then we can have 2 aggressive middle order batting all rounders.
 
Mickey Arthur speaking on TV

"Babar did what Babar does, but very impressed with Iftikhar. Pakistan are looking for a finisher and Ifti did a fantastic job and got Pakistan back in the game. He surprised me a bit, he scored off both front and back foot which was impressive. He hits from a very stable base which allows him to get his power through the ball. He was very impressive and I'm really happy with that performance"

"Pakistan had no substantial partnership through the innings, no one really helped Babar. Thank God for Ifti at the back end as he finished as well as could ever be expected. Losing key wickets at crucial times is something they'll have to look at"

"Iftikhar was the biggest plus for Pakistan. It's been well documented that Pakistan have been looking for power hitters, guys who can finish an innings. If Iftikhar keeps this up, he could be that guy. He showed the ability to play the short balls, he pulled well and hit powerfully down the ground"
 
Credit where it's due, he batted really well today. Some clean strikes and showed up some of the other Pakistani batsmen.
 
Credit where it's due, he batted really well today. Some clean strikes and showed up some of the other Pakistani batsmen.

These guys don't have the hunger beyond playing a once in a blue moon knock though, it is what separates the elite from the jobbers; you look at what defines the best in the world today and it is consistency. Can Ifti deliver on a regular basis or will he be doing the sajda and providing a kukar qurbani to everyone in his village after one knock ?

Pak are very fortunate to have someone like Babar in the line up, my sources tell me he hasn't made any qurbani's so far.
 
Lol how many chances must Umar Amin be given? We've been hearing about Umar Amin since 2008.

He's still on the young side - certainly hasn't been given as many chances as Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Asif Ali/Fakhar Zaman.

He's gone back to domestic and has been consistently performing well.
 
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