Sahibzada Farhan: “I try to target the opposition team’s best bowler because if I score runs against the opposition team’s best bowler, the other bowlers will automatically adopt a defensive approach”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has revealed that he deliberately targets the opposition’s best bowler to unsettle them, explaining that it forces the others to “automatically adopt a defensive approach.”
Farhan has been one of Pakistan’s leading T20I performers in recent times, consistently delivering runs at the top of the order.
Across 43 T20I matches, the Charsadda native has scored 1,142 runs at an average of 27.85 and a strike-rate of 134.35, with a century and nine fifties to his name.
Most recently, however, he struggled in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Australia, managing just five runs in two games at an average of 2.50.
“I try to target the opposition team’s best bowler because if I score runs against the opposition team’s best bowler, the other bowlers will automatically adopt a defensive approach,” Farhan was quoted as saying by journalist Arfa Feroz Zake on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The 29-year-old is now representing Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup and has done brilliantly so far, amassing 220 runs i four games, which includes a career-best knock of 100 not out, at an average of 73.33 and a strike-rate of 164.17.
The men in green have booked their spot in the Super Eights after triumphing over the Netherlands, United States of America and Namibia in the group stage. Their only loss came against arch-rivals India.
Pakistan will begin their Super Eights journey against New Zealand on February 21 in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq