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[VIDEOS] Why can't we get the best out of Iftikhar Ahmed?

What a class player he is. He should be an all format player for Pakistan. Never understood why he was dropped after the Wt20 WC when he was the top performing player for Pakistan in the tournament?

My most favorite player after Shaheen and Babar. I am all in the Ifti Mania! :ifti
 
What a class player he is. He should be an all format player for Pakistan. Never understood why he was dropped after the Wt20 WC when he was the top performing player for Pakistan in the tournament?

My most favorite player after Shaheen and Babar. I am all in the Ifti Mania! :ifti

I can’t tell if this is satire. I certainly hope it is.
 
At 40 and after so many chances if he could not prove himself of international class , then he is not. Does not matter how he performs at domestic level.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quetta?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quetta</a> for the love and respect. <br><br>Transit in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dubai?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dubai</a> - heading to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bangladesh</a> &#55356;&#56807;&#55356;&#56809; for one more game tomorrow. Hoping to continue my momentum for my team Fortune Barishal and end on a high note, In sha Allah. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IftiMania?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IftiMania</a> <a href="https://t.co/vQugJrY3H4">pic.twitter.com/vQugJrY3H4</a></p>— Iftikhar Ahmad (@IftiAhmed221) <a href="https://twitter.com/IftiAhmed221/status/1622572597241167874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Quetta management sending him at 7 to utilize his form will be funny now that Hafeez, Ukmal, Saifi are all there.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quetta?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quetta</a> for the love and respect. <br><br>Transit in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dubai?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dubai</a> - heading to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bangladesh</a> for one more game tomorrow. Hoping to continue my momentum for my team Fortune Barishal and end on a high note, In sha Allah. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IftiMania?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IftiMania</a> <a href="https://t.co/vQugJrY3H4">pic.twitter.com/vQugJrY3H4</a></p>— Iftikhar Ahmad (@IftiAhmed221) <a href="https://twitter.com/IftiAhmed221/status/1622572597241167874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Don’t tell me he won’t play the first game for Quetta?
 
2 reasons:

1) Team mindset in T20s has been to save wickets and accelerate only in the last 5 overs. This has confused the players and has limited their stroke play. Players like Iftikhar are not capable of maintaining a healthy strike rate just by rotating strike; hence we've seen more failures from him than wins on the international stage.

2) Fear of getting dropped. Innings like the one Iftikhar and Rizwan played during the Asia Cup final tell you that these guys are afraid of making mistakes. They know that the stakes aren't that high in the domestic circuit and they'll continue to get games even after back to back failures. However, when playing for Pak, they want to save their spot because of stronger competition. Onus is on the team management to call out selfish plays when they see and punish players for it.
 
Iftimania coming with all the big shots today

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thundered with disdain &#55357;&#56490;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvNZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvNZ</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CricketMubarak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CricketMubarak</a> <a href="https://t.co/YQYC3xldRn">pic.twitter.com/YQYC3xldRn</a></p>— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1647287173337731073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
One bad match and all the haters and so called expetts were out to bash him.

There you go, he is performing.

Chacha aint going no where.
 
One bad match and all the haters and so called expetts were out to bash him.

There you go, he is performing.

Chacha aint going no where.

One good match … lover fan boys come out of the cave.. where were you when he scored 0 ? He has his days.
 
He is one of the few Pakistani players that is really good against spin.

But he is inconsistent unfortunately.
 
A good innings today but lets be honest his performances havent been upto the mark so far in his career

By now hes had enough games He shouldve cemented his place in the team by now which he hasnt done
 
Look let's be honest he is a more reliable powerhitter than Asif Ali and Khushdil. So let's stick with him for now atleast.
 
There's way too much ageism and talk about talent and skills and aesthetically pleasing players etc. on these forums. But tournaments are won by hard men who rise to the occasion when the going gets tough and Iftikhar Ahmed is one of the few who keeps doing that every time I see Pakistan play.

Limited he may be in terms of talent and skill and glamour or whatever fans like these days but he's a vital part of Pakistan's side and he is always up for a fight and he's a competitor unlike a lot of the soft, meek cricketers in the Pakistan XI.

Hats off to the old gent!
 
Gets unnecessary hate. His critics need to understand that he plays in a position where it's not easy to produce consistent performances. Impactful performances from time to time are needed, which Chacha keeps delivering.
 
In the National T20 Cup 2023, Iftikhar Ahmad delivered a perfect all-round performance today, scoring 51 runs in 23 balls and taking 1/12 in 3 overs. This led his side, Peshawar, to victory over Quetta.
 
Wow, Iftikhar the great big hitter actually smashed a 50 in less than 30 balls for once
 
He is a handy player. You don't judge a fish by it's ability to fly. He is good at what he does.

Chacha is a must on T20 world cup he can muscle the ball over the boundary on slow wickets and bowl handy overs.

If we could also do a deal with the opposition to not bowl spin, particularly leg spin when he is batting then that will help.
 
In the National T20 Cup 2023, Iftikhar Ahmad delivered a perfect all-round performance today, scoring 51 runs in 23 balls and taking 1/12 in 3 overs. This led his side, Peshawar, to victory over Quetta.
Highlights of Iftikhar Ahmed's 51(23) vs Quetta today in National T20 Cup 2023.
 
Under utilized by Babar in bowling department. The guy is a beast player, i hope his spot in Pakistan team stays.
 
Take the results of this t20 cup with a grain of salt, when you have teams playing 10 debutants and a bunch of no names filling the XI, any international player is going to have a field day
 
Iftikhar Ahmed, during an interview with a local channel, speaks about cancelling his T10 league contract:

"Here, our domestic T20 tournament is currently underway. I also had a contract in T10, but I cancelled it because we have all played for Pakistan, and due to that, we have become well-known. So, it is our responsibility, as players and professionals, to show respect to our domestic players and also to Pakistan by playing in our domestic tournaments."
 
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Iftikhar Ahmed, during an interview with a local channel, speaks about cancelling his T10 league contract:

"Here, our domestic T20 tournament is currently underway. I also had a contract in T10, but I cancelled it because we have all played for Pakistan, and due to that, we have become well-known. So, it is our responsibility, as players and professionals, to show respect to our domestic players and also to Pakistan by playing in our domestic tournaments."
Something for money hungry Imad to learn. He left his country for t10.
 
Iftikhar is a sensational power hitter and also has the ability to control his nerves on big occasion. Remember his 51 runs quick knock against india in t20 wc 2022. The only thing he lacks is patience and inability to do smooth rotation of strike. This sometimes forces him to play false shot and set his own demise. He needs to work on these issues.
 
He must be aged around 40 or so. He’s just come back off a gruelling WC where he played every game and now out here smashing it in domestics.

Fair play to you Chacha. Despite your limitations nobody can say you didn’t give it your all.
 
I like chacha but his limitations against spin makes him a liability against most good sides
 
He is too old for international cricket now , leave him alone and look for some younger guy. Very limited player as was exposed in recent WC, can't play spin or top level fast bowling. How long will keep dragging this 40 plus player with the team, enough .
 
His performance speaks for itself for him to be in the team. His power game has ben far better then any other so-called finishers in the domestic circuit.
 
Why not try him at the number 4 position for pakistan? We have seen him perform consistently well in domestic leagues on same number.
 
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He is too old for international cricket now , leave him alone and look for some younger guy. Very limited player as was exposed in recent WC, can't play spin or top level fast bowling. How long will keep dragging this 40 plus player with the team, enough .
He's not great but his replacement are miles worse. He's probably a better spinner than most of our spinners alone.
 
He's not great but his replacement are miles worse. He's probably a better spinner than most of our spinners alone.
That mentality ( there is no replacement ) had made the way for our players staying in Pakistan team even after their 40s with miserable performance and blocking the emergence of young talent.
 
That mentality ( there is no replacement ) had made the way for our players staying in Pakistan team even after their 40s with miserable performance and blocking the emergence of young talent.
Can you provide a name for his replacement?
 
Multan Sultan has traded Rilee Rossouw to bring in Iftikhar in their squad. Good pick by Multan. Iftikhar is more than a handy all-rounder and his power hitting has improved in recent times as well as he is also showing good form in National t20 cup.​
 
Other than mubasir no one bowls and he's can't hit. So you don't have any options and lol at the likes of Azam and Irfan Khan, both are barely FC level batsmens.
Qasim Akram although he hasnt done that great.
 
Iftikhar and Rilee's trade will be beneficial for both teams. Rilee can strengthen the batting lineup of Quetta whereas Iftikhar can do good as a finisher for Multan. Fair trade for me.
 
Iftikhar Ahmed made a really useful contribution with bat and the ball in Peshawar's win over Sialkot in National T20 Cup. He played a superb innings of 55 runs out off 24 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes. He also took 2 wickets in the match. These are highlights of his unbeaten innings in today's match:

 
Mostly mishits.

I will say this about Iftikhar, despite his obvious age and his overall inconsistency, he is one six hitter who seems to have improved since he first played for Pakistan.

If one of the younger guys like Khushdil, Asif Ali, Haider etc had improved their game like he had instead of basically regressing or staying the same, we would have a good hitter who wasn’t this old and unreliable.
 
The form Iftikhar is showing in this National T20 Cup is very impressive. Not only he has taken apart the bowling line up with his lusty blows, he is also more than handy as a spinner and far better than many specialist spinners IMO.
 
He is only good for low level cricket, too old and too mediocre a player for any international matches , sooner we get rid of his is better.
 
He is only good for low level cricket, too old and too mediocre a player for any international matches , sooner we get rid of his is better.
True, he's had too many chances and flopped each time. Ridiculous that there's so much discussion on this topic, shows how far our stocks and standards have dropped. This should be a wake up call for the board.
 
Iftikhar Ahmed continues his domestic performances. For Karachi Ghazis in SPL 2024, he scored a vital 69 (43) against Larkana Challengers.

All-round performance from Iftikhar Ahmed.He is a hero with the ball also for Karachi Ghazis, having taken 3 wickets for just 28 runs in 3 overs against Larkana Challengers.Which resulted in Karachi Ghazis victory over Larkana Challengers by 68 runs in SPL 2024.
 
Because captains never consider him a bowler who can complete his full bowling quota

I can simply say that Iftikhar is underrated as a bowler.
 
No need for him in the team anymore. His best will never come I guess because he is not capable enough to bring his best. He only plays his best game when he is playing in A B C leagues.

Thanks but no thanks.
He was never properly utilized.

Babar for some reason thinks ifti is a lower order slogger that should not be send in to build innings. As a captain, Babar failed to help the player grow.

Babar and imam are best buddies, and once imam spilled the beans that ifti was not being considered for odi world cup, and than later when he got added and scored few runs he became permanent. This only showed that babar had no planning and any player for him who wasnt good enough could also become good enough in a matter of one game.

Ifti had alot of potential, he had been scoring in domestic alot, but his captain was pathetic.

When Abdul Rehman came in as coach, i was hoping he would had taken more charge and allowed Ifti to bat in the middle order.

Anyways, ifti can still play for Pakistan if he goes back to domestic cricket and tops the chart. Needs to bat at no.4 though in domestic.

Remember, Ifti is a 90s kid, he is younger than Virat kohli :p
 
He was never properly utilized.

Babar for some reason thinks ifti is a lower order slogger that should not be send in to build innings. As a captain, Babar failed to help the player grow.

Babar and imam are best buddies, and once imam spilled the beans that ifti was not being considered for odi world cup, and than later when he got added and scored few runs he became permanent. This only showed that babar had no planning and any player for him who wasnt good enough could also become good enough in a matter of one game.

Ifti had alot of potential, he had been scoring in domestic alot, but his captain was pathetic.

When Abdul Rehman came in as coach, i was hoping he would had taken more charge and allowed Ifti to bat in the middle order.

Anyways, ifti can still play for Pakistan if he goes back to domestic cricket and tops the chart. Needs to bat at no.4 though in domestic.

Remember, Ifti is a 90s kid, he is younger than Virat kohli :p
Kuda ka Khoof karo, anytime he's played in the MO which is here and their he's gotten out plumb due to wrist spin. Potential my foot.

He'd be worse at no 4 however being a misbah supporter you'd be saying Babar never utilised him, Chacha claimed he's a finisher, he should have batted at no 6.
 
Iftikhar reminds me a little of Kedhar Jadhav. When he burst into the Indian team as an older player, you wondered where he'd been all this time. He looked the part straight away. He had effortless effort power, a sound technique, and a calm demeanour. He played some excellent cameos and a couple of really outstanding innings. His century against England( when India successfully chased 350) is still one of the best modern batting performances by an Indian batsman that I have seen.

He really looked like he was going to be the answer to India's ODI middle order conundrum. But he failed in a few key knockout games ( as did those above him it has to be said).

In the end, he was discarded despite having a very good statistical record( ODI avg of 42 with a SR over 100). His advancing age, the team's failure to win a tournament, and his own inability to play a big innings in big crunch game was the reason India moved off him.

But I always think his International career was a disappointment. Only because he showed you real glimpses of genius. Unfortunately, he was never able to put it all together at the right time.

Iftikhar, from what I've seen, has shown a similar style to Jadhav( although I don't believe he has peaked at the International stage at the level Kedhar did for a brief time), but he might be jettisoned from the Pakistan side for similar reasons.
 
Iftikhar reminds me a little of Kedhar Jadhav. When he burst into the Indian team as an older player, you wondered where he'd been all this time. He looked the part straight away. He had effortless effort power, a sound technique, and a calm demeanour. He played some excellent cameos and a couple of really outstanding innings. His century against England( when India successfully chased 350) is still one of the best modern batting performances by an Indian batsman that I have seen.

He really looked like he was going to be the answer to India's ODI middle order conundrum. But he failed in a few key knockout games ( as did those above him it has to be said).

In the end, he was discarded despite having a very good statistical record( ODI avg of 42 with a SR over 100). His advancing age, the team's failure to win a tournament, and his own inability to play a big innings in big crunch game was the reason India moved off him.

But I always think his International career was a disappointment. Only because he showed you real glimpses of genius. Unfortunately, he was never able to put it all together at the right time.

Iftikhar, from what I've seen, has shown a similar style to Jadhav( although I don't believe he has peaked at the International stage at the level Kedhar did for a brief time), but he might be jettisoned from the Pakistan side for similar reasons.
Iftikhar wasnt really a power hitter. He was a proper batsman that could shift gears.

Basically, he would build his innings by playing the ball to both off and leg. On the offside he would dab it or cut it behind with control and as he would pace his innings he would start hitting.

Guy would hit spinners out and i remember the mockery he made out of Axar Patel.

He hasnt been utilized properly. In babars mind, iftikhar is like asif ali, who could only hit.

Anyways, iftikhar has 2 - 3 years left in him considering his age. Malik is older than him and still not retired.

Iftikhar should be dropped, and if he is to be added back, he would need to top the charts in domestix again
 
Iftikhar wasnt really a power hitter. He was a proper batsman that could shift gears.

Basically, he would build his innings by playing the ball to both off and leg. On the offside he would dab it or cut it behind with control and as he would pace his innings he would start hitting.

Guy would hit spinners out and i remember the mockery he made out of Axar Patel.

He hasnt been utilized properly. In babars mind, iftikhar is like asif ali, who could only hit.

Anyways, iftikhar has 2 - 3 years left in him considering his age. Malik is older than him and still not retired.

Iftikhar should be dropped, and if he is to be added back, he would need to top the charts in domestix again
Looks and plays like a 50 year old
 
Age maybe? It’s frustrating as he’s the only Pakistani player in recent memory who has a good power game, high averages and good record over three formats in domestic. Even useful bowling. He’s the all rounded player we have been screaming for, but he only does it in domestic. Most of the great international players in other teams tend to have his sort of records in domestic too. So it’s a real shame it hasn’t worked out.
 
PSL has the best bowling standards among all leagues and world cricket.

Ifti always likes to be challenged by the bowlers like how he's challenged in PSL.

World cricket is too easy for him as the bowling standards are easy. Talent bahut hai, motivation nahi.
:inti
 
The there was nothing spectacular to get out from Ifitkhar rather he is lucky to have played for so many games
 
His numbers are good in domestic cricket however he has been unable to transition it into Intl. Cricket.

I personally believe, it's over for him in Intl. Cricket.

Time blood through a new spin bowling AR. Mubasir Khan, Qasim Akram or someone else needs to progress through.
 
Yeah, lets keep playing him so he can help bring the end to Pak cricket. The sooner we are all put out of our misery, the better.
 
Wahab Riaz had an agenda to kick out Iftikhar ever since he hit him for 6 sixes in an over.

If Iftikhar was given his usual number 5 spot he would have done far better. He is still a good striker by Pakistan’s current standards.
 
Wahab Riaz had an agenda to kick out Iftikhar ever since he hit him for 6 sixes in an over.

If Iftikhar was given his usual number 5 spot he would have done far better. He is still a good striker by Pakistan’s current standards.
What sort of agenda it was in which he picked him in WC squad without any performance.
 
in years to come when you look up the definition of mediocre, you might aswell save a lot of words and just put ifti’s name in there.
 
in years to come when you look up the definition of mediocre, you might aswell save a lot of words and just put ifti’s name in there.
Apparently he's been mismanaged and his name needs to be put at 4 or 5.
 
Wahab Riaz had an agenda to kick out Iftikhar ever since he hit him for 6 sixes in an over.

If Iftikhar was given his usual number 5 spot he would have done far better. He is still a good striker by Pakistan’s current standards.
Na man. There was no agenda. If wahab wantes he would had drop ifti there and than.

Its just that babar is an idiot
 
When you think about the amount of matches he has played in the last 3 years, including 3 ICC tournaments, the biggest and most impactful innings he played has been a hundred against Nepal. He has won MOTM twice. Both times for his bowling.

For someone playing in a position that demands such high impact, he has been sorely lacking. Considering his age and hos failures, he needs to be put to pasture now.
 
Apparently he's been mismanaged and his name needs to be put at 4 or 5.
bro, he needs to be dropped now.

He could have been played in 4 or 5.

Anyways, if he tops domestic charts again, than i wont mind him playing but that being said if there is no power hitter in domestic.

Lets see what Irfan Niazi has up to offer.
 
Iffi time is over. He has played more games than he should have based on his performance. His numbers are good in domestic but he has been equally pathetic in internationals. No match-winning inning in such a long career, never lived up to expectations.
 
bro, he needs to be dropped now.

He could have been played in 4 or 5.

Anyways, if he tops domestic charts again, than i wont mind him playing but that being said if there is no power hitter in domestic.

Lets see what Irfan Niazi has up to offer.
What's the point of being a the biggest domestic bully if you can't hit any sixes when Pakistan needs them most? I was in support of giving him chances because he was one of the most consistent domestic performers for years and you can see what a clean hitter of the ball he is. But now that he has been given a good consistent run in the side, you can see that he has done nothing to show that he is an international caliber cricketer. Time and time again he has failed in high-pressure situations. Considering his age, any matches you give him now, you're taking away chances from younger, more deserving guys who are capable of achieving a lot more.
 
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