‘I Am More Than Just A Tailender’: Pakistan Batter Iftikhar Ahmed Playfully Corrects Reporter's Label as ‘Middle-Order Player’

New Delhi: Iftikhar Ahmed's future in the national team of Pakistan is now highly uncertain following a series of lackluster performances. Once viewed as a dependable player, his disappointing showings in the ODI and T20 World Cups have drawn sharp criticism from fans and former cricketers.

Things have been made worse by the hard stance of PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who wants an overhaul of the team after the dismal performance in the recently held T20 World Cup. With Naqvi himself talking about “surgery” in the squad, it means that non-performers like Iftikhar Ahmed may well be axed as Pakistan gears up for a busy white-ball season until the Champions Trophy.

Amid these challenging circumstances, Iftikhar Ahmed will have a chance to regain his form and demonstrate his value in the upcoming Champions Cup, where he will play under the leadership of Mohammad Rizwan for Team Wolves.

However, a video from Iftikhar Ahmed’s pre-tournament interview has surfaced on social media, where he makes a self-deprecating remark about his batting position. After being labeled a “middle-order batter” by a reporter, a visibly frustrated Iftikhar humorously described himself as a “tailender.”

Mein Tailender hun #PakistanCricket #ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/jGVjMIB6i9

— صالح (@salehhh1997) September 8, 2024

Pakistan had a disastrous T20 World Cup in June this year when they crashed out in the group stage. The team lost considerably to the hosts and also debutants USA, apart from India. Though the victories over Ireland and Canada came through, they were never good enough to advance to the Super Eight stage of the tournament.

Iftikhar Ahmed played two games in this tournament, against the USA and India, without making an impact in either. He went wicketless in both games, managing 18 runs against the USA and a mere 5 against India. The latter was the game in which Pakistan imploded spectacularly in the run-chase despite being REQUIRED to score only 42 runs from as many deliveries at one stage.