Ahmed Shehzad: “Farhan has shut down every critic who ever said he wasn’t a serious product. It hurts to hear people label a player as unworthy when they’ve never held a bat themselves. Now those same people are praising him”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Veteran Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad has praised big-hitter Sahibzada Farhan, saying he has “shut down every critic who ever said he wasn’t a serious product”.
Farhan has worked hard to get himself back into the national team as he was the highest run-scorer in the National T20 Cup with 605 runs in seven matches for Peshawar Region, which included three centuries and two fifties, at a jaw-dropping average of 121 and a strike-rate of 189.65.
The 29-year-old from Charsadda continued to impress in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) as he topped the run-scoring chart once again after amassing 449 runs in 12 games for Islamabad United, which included a hundred and three half-centuries, at an average of 37.41 and a strike-rate of 152.20.
After PSL 10, Farhan featured in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Bangladesh and finished with 75 runs in two games, which included a career-best knock of 74, at an average of 37.50 and a strike-rate of 166.66.
Looking at Farhan’s performances with the bat, Shehzad pointed out it proves that all he needed was one proper chance to showcase his talent.
“Farhan has shut down every critic who ever said he wasn’t a serious product. It hurts to hear people label a player as unworthy when they’ve never held a bat themselves. Now those same people are praising him,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“Farhan isn’t the only one. There were others in the last four or five years who could’ve served Pakistan. But those controlling the narrative didn’t let that happen. All Farhan ever needed was a chance. He proved the rest on his own.”
Pakistan won their T20I series against Bangladesh 3-0.
Next up for the men in green will be a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, which will take place in Mirpur from July 20 to 24.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza and Sufiyan Muqeem
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