Iftikhar Ahmed: “The way he handles strike rotation alleviates pressure”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Iftikhar Ahmed, the middle order big-hitter, said Pakistan captain Babar Azam helps reduce the pressure when batting as he is brilliant at rotating the strike.
By doing this, he ensures the scoreboard is constantly ticking and Pakistan are staying on track with the required run rate.
Having batted with Azam in the past, Iftikhar acknowledged that having someone who can do this is a big help as it allows him to focus on his game.
“The way he handles strike rotation alleviates pressure,” the 33-year-old from Peshawar was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Both Azam and Iftikhar are currently in action in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India.
Azam has made scores of 5, 10, 50 and 18 against the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, India and Australia respectively, while Iftikhar has struck 9, 22 not out, 4 and 26 in those games.
Pakistan began on a high as they triumphed over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, things began to go awry when they lost to India and Australia.
Next up for the men in green will be a clash against Afghanistan on October 23 in Chennai.
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
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