Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan: “My favorite position is opening because I have always played at that spot. I have delivered performances as an opener in domestic cricket and changes in batting positions can be disruptive”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan has confirmed that he wants to open the batting and admitted he finds it “disruptive” to keep changing where he bats.
Farhan has been one of top performers in domestic cricket over the past couple of years and has gone on to feature in nine T20Is for Pakistan to date.
However, he hasn’t been able to replicate his domestic success at the international level as he has been restricted to 86 runs at an average of 9.55. It should be noted that in most of those T20Is, he batted in the middle order.
The 28-year-old recently took part in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Australia and mustered 22 runs at an average of 7.33.
He didn’t fare any better in the T20I series against Zimbabwe as he made four runs in the one game he played.
Farhan was not picked for Pakistan’s ongoing tour of South Africa and instead represented the Dolphins in the Champions T20 Cup, where he amassed 147 runs in eight matches, which included two fifties, at an average of 18.37.
“My favorite position is opening because I have always played at that spot. I have delivered performances as an opener in domestic cricket and changes in batting positions can be disruptive,” he told Geo News.
“Look, it may work in domestic cricket or even in PSL but it is very difficult to adjust at international level. I have been playing as a top-order batsman for the past eight to ten years. So, when I bat in the middle order, it becomes difficult because in that phase a batter needs to start hitting after a couple of balls.”
Pakistan lost their T20I series against South Africa 2-0 before rebounding to win the ODIs 3-0.
The men in green and the Proteas are now involved in a two-Test series, which South Africa lead 1-0 after claiming a two-wicket win in the 1st Test in Centurion.
The 2nd Test will begin on January 3 in Cape Town.
Pakistan Squad for South Africa T20I Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha
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