Farveez Maharoof: “Iftikhar Ahmed has not been scoring runs, he was failing miserably in the LPL (Lanka Premier League)… so [the] pressure will be on him”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Farveez Maharoof, the former Sri Lanka fast bowler, believes there is mounting pressure on Pakistan big-hitting middle order batsman Iftikhar Ahmed since he “has not been scoring runs.”
Iftikhar has cemented his place in ODIs and T20Is through a few strong performances.
On top of that, the men in green often see him as the go-to man when they are in need of quick runs.
However, since he has not been contributing regularly enough, Maharoof feels that the clock is ticking for the 33-year-old to produce some big scores that will silence his doubters.
“Iftikhar Ahmed has not been scoring runs, he was failing miserably in the LPL (Lanka Premier League)… so [the] pressure will be on him,” he said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Iftikhar didn’t play in Pakistan’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka, but did feature in their three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, where he made 47 runs in two games at an average of 23.50.
Most recently, he was involved in the Asia Cup and finished with 179 runs in five matches, which included a career-best knock of 109 not out, at an average of 89.50.
Pakistan beat Nepal by 238 runs in the tournament before sharing one point with India due to a washout and defeating Bangladesh by seven wickets.
They then lost to India by 228 runs and Sri Lanka by two wickets via the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method (DLS) method, which led to their elimination from the tournament.
Pakistan will now take part in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India, which begins on October 5.
Their first game will be against the Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali