Shoaib Malik: “The position at which he plays, we need a batsman like him at that position in ODIs”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Shoaib Malik acknowledged that Pakistan need a batsman like Iftikhar Ahmed in the middle order as he can leave a trail of destruction with his power-hitting capabilities.
Iftikhar has been showcasing big-hitting over the past few months, starting at the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he scored 189 runs in 10 matches for the Quetta Gladiators, which included two fifties, at an average of 23.62 and a strike-rate of 126.84.
He was then selected for Pakistan’s five-match T20Is series against New Zealand, where he walloped 129 runs, which included a top score of 60, at an average of 43 and a strike-rate of 195.45.
Pakistan and New Zealand then played five ODIs, but Iftikhar was only picked for two games. Despite this, the 32-year-old made his presence felt, thumping 122 runs, which included a spectacular 94 not out, at an average of 122 and a strike-rate of 129.78.
“The position at which he plays, we need a batsman like him at that position in ODIs,” Malik was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.