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[VIDEOS] Iftikhar Ahmed - A potential solid Test batsman?

Give him until at least the Sri Lanka series. He has the numbers to warrant such backing.
No he doesn’t.

He has 35 QEA runs this season, and has always been a walking wicket against a slip cordon.

And Adelaide is all about the slip cordon.
 
Pretty much was a like for like replacement for malik/hafeez in performance :facepalm:
 
Mickey Arthur on Itikhar Ahmed


"Iftikhar got a really good ball today, he hasn't done too much wrong. He hasn't gotten himself in, that could happen to anybody. Not sure that his place is secure. Two batsmen under pressure are Haris and Iftikhar
 
All of a sudden Iftikhar became a sure selection in all three formats within a space of a month - and that is lulz worthy because even Zimbabwe and Afghanistan don't do that.

Running a board based on whims and desires shows the maturity we have as a cricket organisation.
 
All of a sudden Iftikhar became a sure selection in all three formats within a space of a month - and that is lulz worthy because even Zimbabwe and Afghanistan don't do that.

Running a board based on whims and desires shows the maturity we have as a cricket organisation.


His the only player whose performed in the last two series and domestically too
Shame to see him out for two low scores after blitzing Sri Lankan’s and Australians in Odis

Those who haven’t toured Australia will be back in while poor ifti will be discarded
Sadly he’s not the second coming of Misbah-ul-Haq as a batsman
 
I don't he is a test match player. He should stick to LO. Even in LO he has a lot to prove. Not convinced by him to be honest.
 
It's not right dropping him after just one test. He's also a very useful spinner, especially when tests are being played on turning tracks.

There are other seniors who deserve a drop before Iftikhar.
 
It's not right dropping him after just one test. He's also a very useful spinner, especially when tests are being played on turning tracks.

There are other seniors who deserve a drop before Iftikhar.

Think his bowling may get him another chance but he must convince management in nets that he is able to face up to the quicks
 
Think his bowling may get him another chance but he must convince management in nets that he is able to face up to the quicks
If you pick Test batsmen on white ball performances (where there are no slips) you give yourself Jason Roy, Aaron Finch, Alex Hales, Martin Guptill and Iftikhar Ahmed.

Need I say more?
 
Think his bowling may get him another chance but he must convince management in nets that he is able to face up to the quicks

He averages 26 with the ball in first class cricket and I believe Haris bowled more overs than him. If the logic is that we need any random batsman’s bowling as insurance then you might as well select Haris. Although I think neither should be selected
 
4,7 and 0 so far in his Test career.

Big next Test for him if he is picked.
 
I agree - but I am worried that we dont have a backup spinner.

Sorry but hes been picked as a batsmen primarily so he nerds to score runs, his spin bowling is a token gesture bonus.
 
Sorry but hes been picked as a batsmen primarily so he nerds to score runs, his spin bowling is a token gesture bonus.

its the same muddled thinking. Performed in t20 so they brought him in to the test team. They have players in the squad that have played a tough series against South Africa, who are sitting out because, well, the world stopped for Misbah in 2016 - so everything must continue from that.
 
Its not good dropping him after 1 test, but given haris bowled more overs cheaper than chacha, I would play haris instead. I back haris to come good at Adelaide where it doesn't bounce as much
 
Its not good dropping him after 1 test, but given haris bowled more overs cheaper than chacha, I would play haris instead. I back haris to come good at Adelaide where it doesn't bounce as much

neither should play.
 
It's surprising how people want players who aren't their favorites to be dropped after one bad match but are able to make excuses for their favorites even after 100+ matches.
 
I agree - but I am worried that we dont have a backup spinner.
You don’t need one for an Adelaide Pink Ball Greentop.

I wouldn’t even have played Yasir Shah at Adelaide if there were any decent alternative quicks.
 
neither should play.


Adelaide is gonna have the least bounce of all the Aus wickets, and I'm not ready yet to think that haris is no longer a capable player.
Prior to this last one match he was up there with our best test bats and can play the moving ball.

Unless he is just mentally shot after the tour he's had, but management should be able to see that side better.

We got to stop the chopping and changing based on result of one match.
Haris was one of our better test bats prior to last Thursday
 
Adelaide is gonna have the least bounce of all the Aus wickets, and I'm not ready yet to think that haris is no longer a capable player.
Prior to this last one match he was up there with our best test bats and can play the moving ball.

Unless he is just mentally shot after the tour he's had, but management should be able to see that side better.

We got to stop the chopping and changing based on result of one match.
Haris was one of our better test bats prior to last Thursday
I am sure Haris will develop in to something better, but I never saw him as a must in tests.
 
Looks lost in Tests at the moment, being used as a bowler more!
 
He is very solid. Scored his highest score of 10 today. Thats a improvement from his 7.
 
As dreadful as misbah was last tour. At least he hasn't made the OP miss his favorite shameless misbah.
 
Another one of Misbah’s master strokes. Wonder what Misbah has in store for the SL series, exciting times.
 
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Pretty much a like for like replacement for hafeez or malik.

Replace rubbish with rubbish.
 
An absolute waste of space Cant believe theres people like fawad who arent being given a chance and instead part timers like ifty and kids are getting freeby test caps instead
 
Was unlucky today. Was middling them beautifully and looked a million dollars. Was only out due to a world class catch.
 
An absolute waste of space Cant believe theres people like fawad who arent being given a chance and instead part timers like ifty and kids are getting freeby test caps instead

Couldn't have said it better. God knows what the likes of Fawad, Salahuddin, Sameen, Ehsan, Gohar and others are thinking.

I'm not saying they're worldbeaters who would've blown Australia away, but what I'm asking is that what's the motivation to perform in domestic cricket when selections are conducted not on the basis of any data, logic, or previous history - but simply on Misbah and Waqar's subjective likes and dislikes ?
 
Garbage thread. His batting or bowling is not Test match class.

He has performed okay in white ball cricket, but that is not the basis for Test match selection. Another dubious decision by Misbah-ul-Haq to choose him for this series.
 
3 Tests
6 Innings
48 runs
Top Score 27
Average 8.00

Is anybody going to hold Misbah accountable for this ludicrously biased selection of his friend?

Incidentally, Iftikhar is 90th Highest Scorer in the domestic QEA First Class season. In which there are only 6 teams!
 
Nothing sums up the putrid brand of cricket we are playing more than the selection of Iftikhar Ahmed.

How this guy can get a longer leash than a player of Haris Sohail's is beyond belief.
 
Dismissed by Lyon again. I thought he was meant to be a good player of spin :13:

<iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/ysx2u/nyfypj" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Pakistan is in the dumps as far as the world rankings are concerned and granted the barrel is all but empty when it comes to talent but there should still be accountability for garbage selections like this. We are a struggling cricket team with limited resources and guys like Misbah will only plunder us further into the dirt.
 
Doesn't really mean much when he played one innings.... But agree with the overall point.
My point is that a Chief Selector should be held to account for maintaining a robust selection process.

Imran, Musa and Iftikhar have been selected with ZERO domestic performances and ZERO recent international achievement.

To me that is one of two things by Misbah.

You can take your pick: it is either Gross Incompetence or Professional Misconduct.

In my profession, medicine, you would have your licence to practise suspended at this point, and be banned from working until you could demonstrate your ability to work competently.

Why is Misbah allowed to get away with this?
 
Iftikhar deserves to be vice captain of the test team. What a gem found by Misbah!!!!
 
My point is that a Chief Selector should be held to account for maintaining a robust selection process.

Imran, Musa and Iftikhar have been selected with ZERO domestic performances and ZERO recent international achievement.

To me that is one of two things by Misbah.

You can take your pick: it is either Gross Incompetence or Professional Misconduct.

In my profession, medicine, you would have your licence to practise suspended at this point, and be banned from working until you could demonstrate your ability to work competently.

Why is Misbah allowed to get away with this?

Iftikhar is in the top 10 or so run-scorers if we look at QEA stats for the past 4-5 seasons.

But his style of play doesn't look suited to Test cricket and his bowling is useless. Maybe he can be more useful in the subcontinent, not sure.
 
Iftikhar is in the top 10 or so run-scorers if we look at QEA stats for the past 4-5 seasons.

But his style of play doesn't look suited to Test cricket and his bowling is useless. Maybe he can be more useful in the subcontinent, not sure.
It’s like the scene in “The Crown” where the Queen tells Prince Charles that “nobody wants to hear your voice”.

If you are Chief Selector it is to pick the squad that any experienced selector would. You are not being paid to have hunches or guesses.

Literally nobody else would have sent Iftikhar, Imran or Musa on the tour of Australia. Their selection is an absolute disgrace, as is the fact that the Chief Selector feels that he is so powerful that he is allowed to take wild guesses like this.
 
It’s like the scene in “The Crown” where the Queen tells Prince Charles that “nobody wants to hear your voice”.

If you are Chief Selector it is to pick the squad that any experienced selector would. You are not being paid to have hunches or guesses.

Literally nobody else would have sent Iftikhar, Imran or Musa on the tour of Australia. Their selection is an absolute disgrace, as is the fact that the Chief Selector feels that he is so powerful that he is allowed to take wild guesses like this.

I think, he was picked for the all-rounder role. PAK needed and off-spinner due to Australia having 5 lefti in line-up and in non Asian Test spinners are basically passengers in 3.5 innings; so it was important to pick an off spinner who can bat at 6/7.

It was expected from Ifthekhar that he’ll give a series like
Gabba:
23 + 35 = 58
12-2-36-0 & 23-4-69-3= 35-6-105-3

Pink Test: he was expected to bat well because of batting at 6/7, and take score to 319 from 57/5, so a better batting contribution
48 + 58 = 106
10-1-35-0 & 13- 2-40-1 = 23- 3-75-1

That’s a series of 164 runs (average of 41) &
58-9-180-4 ... that’s economy of slightly higher than 3, average of 45 and SR of, around 90.

Unfortunately, he didn’t deliver, but the idea was spot on.
 
I think, he was picked for the all-rounder role. PAK needed and off-spinner due to Australia having 5 lefti in line-up and in non Asian Test spinners are basically passengers in 3.5 innings; so it was important to pick an off spinner who can bat at 6/7.

It was expected from Ifthekhar that he’ll give a series like
Gabba:
23 + 35 = 58
12-2-36-0 & 23-4-69-3= 35-6-105-3

Pink Test: he was expected to bat well because of batting at 6/7, and take score to 319 from 57/5, so a better batting contribution
48 + 58 = 106
10-1-35-0 & 13- 2-40-1 = 23- 3-75-1

That’s a series of 164 runs (average of 41) &
58-9-180-4 ... that’s economy of slightly higher than 3, average of 45 and SR of, around 90.

Unfortunately, he didn’t deliver, but the idea was spot on.
There already was an incumbent spin bowling all-rounder.

He has four fifties in four Tests and took 4-80 in his last Test. And he’s 21 years old.

So how do you dump a 21 year old incumbent who has performed at the highest level in favour of a guy well into his thirties who hasn’t even performed in domestic First Class cricket this year?
 
Garbage thread. His batting or bowling is not Test match class.

He has performed okay in white ball cricket, but that is not the basis for Test match selection. Another dubious decision by Misbah-ul-Haq to choose him for this series.

To be fair to Misbah he need to replace Malik/Hafeez in test side and he has. perfect replacment, his performances match what malik or hafeez would have given to the team.
 
There already was an incumbent spin bowling all-rounder.

He has four fifties in four Tests and took 4-80 in his last Test. And he’s 21 years old.

So how do you dump a 21 year old incumbent who has performed at the highest level in favour of a guy well into his thirties who hasn’t even performed in domestic First Class cricket this year?

But, that spin bowling all-rounder doesn’t bowl off-spin. His like to like replacement was the 2nd highest run scorer & wicket taker for his side - I don’t see any problem here!!!!
 
Threads like these makes me cry and laugh at the sametime. Any body can be great at the game until he holds a bat/ball in international games. :wahab2
 
Misbah's pick and Misbah has to take responsibility for it.

I wanted him to succeed.

It will be interesting to see if he gets the home Test series versus Sri Lanka.
 
Misbah's pick and Misbah has to take responsibility for it.

I wanted him to succeed.

It will be interesting to see if he gets the home Test series versus Sri Lanka.

He deserves to play the series at home. If AS and AA can have decade long ropes, uncle Ifty deserves the series at home, and then decide if he has it or not.
 
He deserves to play the series at home. If AS and AA can have decade long ropes, uncle Ifty deserves the series at home, and then decide if he has it or not.

Notwithstanding that AA and AS should now be benched can you tell me why a good performance against SL and Bangladesh at home should be taken as a measure of potential success in England?
 
Notwithstanding that AA and AS should now be benched can you tell me why a good performance against SL and Bangladesh at home should be taken as a measure of potential success in England?

The reality is that we will not know until he plays against England. He deserved his chance and has to be given a run to pass or fail. The others are falling away and we are down to him and Fawad because Haris is mentally weak and seems to gone out of the picture.
 
The reality is that we will not know until he plays against England. He deserved his chance and has to be given a run to pass or fail. The others are falling away and we are down to him and Fawad because Haris is mentally weak and seems to gone out of the picture.

He has played a test in England already.
 
Well that was quick.

Brought in, kicked out.

Probably the last we've seen of Ifthi in Test cricket.
 
Good to see he’s been given the boot. Need to get rid of him from our LO squads as well.
 
How is it possible that he was chosen for the most difficult tour and then discarded for the easier series?
 
Misbah "Iftikhar has been performing well, in white-ball cricket he has done well and he made runs in Australia too. It's a difficult decision but you can only keep a limited squad. We aren't discarding him for good, when we feel we need him in future, we can select him"
 
Misbah "Iftikhar has been performing well, in white-ball cricket he has done well and he made runs in Australia too. It's a difficult decision but you can only keep a limited squad. We aren't discarding him for good, when we feel we need him in future, we can select him"

Iftikhar will be there in first Test as our all-rounder :)
 
Iftikhar made 31 for Team Green in the ongoing 4 day game. He was dropped twice as well, which is not promising at all.
 
I just have a feeling Misbah will pick him to bat either 6 or 7.

Don't see Iftikhar's technique standing up in English conditions but hope I'm wrong.
 
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