Pakistan all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed has voiced his frustration with his batting order, suggesting that he feels underutilized and misplaced within the team’s strategy. During a media interaction ahead of the Champions One Day Cup, the 34-year-old, known for his power-hitting and off-spin, referred to himself as a ‘tailender’ – a position typically reserved for lower-order batters – expressing his dissatisfaction with his frequently shifting batting spot.
Despite having played 66 T20Is, primarily batting between positions 5 and 7, Iftikhar feels his current role doesn’t reflect his potential. He stated, ‘I am not a middle-order batter, I am a lower-order batter. I am not an all-rounder, I am a tailender. If you see, I bat at No. 7 or 8. And if you look at the all-rounders and middle-order batters around the world, you’d see they bat at No. 4 or 5. But I play at No. 7 and 8 and I think of myself as a tailender.’
His comments highlight a growing discontent with his inconsistent placement in the batting order. While the Pakistan team management’s decision to move him around might be aimed at leveraging his skills in different match situations, Iftikhar’s perspective suggests he feels undervalued and potentially restricted in his ability to contribute effectively.
In recent months, Iftikhar has faced challenges with his form, with his last half-century for Pakistan coming in August 2023 against Nepal during the Asia Cup. While his T20I career boasts 998 runs at a strike rate of 129.10, including four half-centuries, and his ODI record features 614 runs across 28 matches with a strike rate of 106.59, including one century and one fifty, his inconsistency at the international level, particularly with the bat, has been a cause for concern.
Iftikhar’s candid remarks have sparked conversation about his role in the Pakistan team and whether his skills are being fully utilized. His comments suggest a desire to be positioned in a way that allows him to maximize his impact on the game and showcase his true potential. Whether the Pakistan team management will heed his call for a more defined role remains to be seen, but his frustration with his current situation is clear.
