Shoaib Akhtar: “Should we have kept Sahibzada Farhan out for another two years? Once the intent is right, this is the right selection”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Iconic Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar believes picking batsman Sahibzada Farhan in the T20I team was the right decision.
He noted that Farhan had been overlooked for too long and had consistently been performing in domestic cricket.
During the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), the 29-year-old topped the run-scoring chart with 449 runs in 12 games for Islamabad United, which included a century and three fifties, at an average of 37.41 and a strike-rate of 152.20.
He maintained his momentum in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, scoring 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.
The Charsadda native continued to dominate during Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh as he hammered 63 runs in the one T20I he played.
“Should we have kept Sahibzada Farhan out for another two years? Once the intent is right, this is the right selection,” Akhtar was quoted as saying by TOK Sports on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After back-to-back series against Bangladesh, Pakistan embarked on a tour of the West Indies, where they played three T20Is and three ODIs.
In the T20I series, which the men in green won 2-1, Farhan had an impact with the bat once again, amassing 91 runs, which included a top score of 74, at an average of 30.33 and a strike-rate of 126.38.
However, he did not feature in the ODI series, which Pakistan lost 2-1.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem
Pakistan Squad for West Indies ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem
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