PAK vs NZ: Shahid Afridi Heaps Praise On Iftikhar Ahmed After The Latter's Blistering Knock

Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has praised current Pakistan National Cricket Team all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed for his blistering knock in the 3rd T20I against New Zealand.

Pakistan’s top-order collapsed while chasing 164 against NZ. The team was 64/6 when Iftikhar walked out to bat. He immediately looked to attack back the New Zealand bowling, scoring a spectacular 60-off-24.

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Nicknamed ‘Chacha’ (uncle) for looking older than he actually is, Iftikhar Ahmed’s knock was praised by the legend, Shahid Afridi, who took to Twitter to bestow his own moniker of ‘Boom Boom’ on the 32-year-old.

Also read: PAK vs NZ: Former Pakistani Players Have An Issue With Babar Azam, Says Rashid Latif

“You are not chacha for me Iftikhar Ahmed you are boom boom but I wish that you had finished the match and make yourselves a memorable inning. Overall well played, it was good cricket overall, the fans enjoyed,” he wrote.

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Pakistan did end up losing the match by 4 runs. With 15 runs required off the last over and two wickets in hand, Iftikhar hit a 6 and a 4 off the first two balls before getting out. The last man Haris Rauf only survived 2 balls, before being dismissed and getting Pakistan all-out.

Also read: PAK vs NZ: “Stop Publishing For Your Own Agenda” – Simon Doull Lashes Out At News Outlets Publishing Fake News On His Experience In Pakistan

Why was a middle-order batter like Iftikhar Ahmed sent in to bat at no.8?

Pakistan National Cricket Team captain Babar Azam reveals why Iftikhar Ahmed was sent to bat down at no.8 in the 3rd ODI against New Zealand.

Praising Ahmed’s flexibility and versatility as a batter, Azam claimed that they tried sending him at number 9 due to Pakistan’s deep batting order, saying –

“We’ve kept our batting order flexible. We went with what we thought was best at that time. Iftikhar Ahmed and Faheem Ashraf were outstanding. We’re playing a deep batting lineup so that we can send anyone at any time. Iftikhar can bat at any number – numbers don’t matter.”

Also read: Asia Cup 2023: PCB Chairman Najam Sethi Says Pakistan Will Adopt A Strong Stance On Asia Cup and World Cup

Despite the loss, Pakistan is still 2-1 up in the ongoing 5-match T20I series. Iftikhar Ahmed will look to shine with the bat throughout.

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