Tag: Iftikhar Ahmed

CHITTAGONG: Pakistan batter Iftikhar Ahmed fired all cylinders to go berserk and hit a 45-ball century to power his Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) team Fortune Barishal to a dominating 67-run victory over Rangpur Riders.

Put into batters, Fortune Barishal endured an early setback as they slipped to just 46/4 in the sixth over.

However, Iftikhar, coming out to bat at number six, turned the game on its head with his belligerent hitting and stitched an unbeaten record partnership with skipper Shakib Al Hassan.

The duo put on a record 192-run partnership for the fifth wicket and powered their side to a mammoth 238/4. Their unbeaten stand was the highest fifth-wicket partnership in the T20 format.

Iftikhar was the core aggressor of the game-changing fifth wicket stand as he struck a quickfire 100 off just 45 balls, hitting six boundaries and nine sixes.

Shakib, on the other hand, was also impressive as he scored 89 not out off just 43 balls and smashed nine boundaries and six sixes.

Young pacer Hasan Mahmud led the bowling attack for the Riders with 2/31 while Haris Rauf also picked two wickets but was expensive as he leaked 42 runs.

Set to chase 239, the Riders could amass 171/9 in their quota of 20 overs despite a vital 44-run knock of Shamim Hossain.

The Riders kept losing wickets at regular intervals amid the pursuit and none of their batters could go big.

Shamim (44) and Mohammad Nawaz (34) put on a brief fight amid their 57-run partnership for the seventh wicket but it was not enough.

Mehidy Hasan Mirza was the pick of the bowlers for Barishal as he picked 3/26, while Mohammad Wasim and Kamrul Islam claimed two wickets each.

READ: Pakistan thump Zimbabwe to book U19 Women’s T20 WC Super Six berth 

SYDNEY: Pakistan middle-order batter Iftikhar Ahmed hit the longest six of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12s during his side’s fixture against South Africa on Thursday.

Iftikhar, who played a responsible knock of 51 runs off just 35 balls with the help of three boundaries and two sixes, stole the show with his blistering hitting and guided Pakistan to a massive total of 185/9 in their quota of 20 overs.

The right-handed batter came to bat when Pakistan were struggling at 40/3 in the sixth over and left the green shirts in a commanding position – 177/8 in the final over.

Meanwhile, on the fourth delivery of the 16th over, South African pacer Lungi Ngidi banged in short and Iftikhar smashed, connected sweet, to sail the bowl into the top tier for a gigantic 106m six.

Iftikhar’s massive six to Ngidi is the longest six of the Super 12s thus far, surpassing David Miller’s monstrous 104m six against India.

It is pertinent to mention that Iftikhar partnered strongly with Mohammad Nawaz (28) and Shadab Khan (52) to power Pakistan to a commendable 185/9 in 20 overs.

READ: Shadab, Iftikhar hammer Proteas bowlers to take Pakistan to 185/9 

RAWALPINDI: The captain of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) – Iftikhar Ahmed and fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr, has replaced Hassan Ali and Faheem Ashraf in Pakistan’s Test squad for the first match of the three-match series against Australia.

Iftikhar and Wasim Jr, who are chosen due to their all-round ability will replace Hasan and Faheem in the Rawalpindi Test squad as the latter two have been ruled out of the first Test due to injuries.

Both Wasim and Iftikhar will reach Islamabad tonight and will only be able to join the squad after completing a mandatory three-day isolation period. Whereas, Hasan and Faheem will rejoin the squad in the coming week after following the same protocols.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s released statement, Hasan and Faheem are expected to regain full fitness before the second Test that will be played in Karachi from March 12 to March 16.

15-player squad: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Haris Rauf (Northern), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shan Masood (Balochistan) and Zahid Mahmood (Sindh)

READ: Babar Azam joins practice session for the home series against Australia

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced match officials for the remaining 20 matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season six which will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi from Wednesday, 9 June to Thursday, 24 June.

Pakistan’s senior-most umpire Aleem Dar who is also one of the most distinguished members of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires will join six members of the PCB Elite Panel of Umpires for the Abu Dhabi leg.

The six local umpires are Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob (PCB Umpire of 2020), Faisal Khan Afridi, Rashid Riaz, Shozab Raza and Zameer Haider.

PCB match referee elite panelists Ali Naqvi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Javed Malik and Muhammad Anees will lead the playing control teams in Abu Dhabi.

The first match of the Abu Dhabi-leg between Lahore Qalandars and the 2016 and 2018 champions Islamabad United will be umpired by Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz, while Shozab Raza will be the third umpire and Faisal Afridi, the fourth umpire. Muhammad Anees will be the match referee.

The June 24 final will be umpired by Aleem and Ahsan with Asif the third umpire. Rashid will be the fourth umpire while Anees will be the match referee.

Umpires and match referees appointments 

9 June – Lahore Qalandars v Islamabad United. Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Shozab Raza (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire), Muhammad Anees (match referee)

10 June – Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings. Aleem Dar and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire), Ali Naqvi (match referee); Peshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars. Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire), Ali Naqvi match referee

11 June – Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators. Aleem Dar and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Zameer Haider (fourth umpire), Javed Malik (match referee)

12 June – Quetta Gladiators v Peshawar Zalmi. Ahsan Raza and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Aleem Dar (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire), Muhammad Anees (match referee)

13 June – Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars. Shozab Raza and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Zameer Haider (fourth umpire), Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee); Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi. Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Zameer Haider (fourth umpire), Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee)

14 June – Islamabad United v Karachi Kings. Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Shozab Raza (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire), Ali Naqvi (match referee)

15 June – Quetta Gladiators v Lahore Qalandars. Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Shozab Raza (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire), Muhammad Anees (match referee); Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings. Ahsan Raza and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire), Muhammad Anees (match referee)

16 June – Multan Sultans v Quetta Gladiators. Aleem Dar and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire), Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee)

17 June – Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi. Shozab Raza and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Zameer Haider (fourth umpire), Muhammad Anees (match referee); Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars. Ahsan Raza and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Aleem Dar (third umpire), Zameer Haider (fourth umpire), Muhammad Anees (match referee)

18 June – Multan Sultans v Lahore Qalandars. Aleem Dar and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire), Javed Malik (match referee)

19 June – Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings. Shozab Raza and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Zameer Haider (fourth umpire), Javed Malik (match referee); Multan Sultans v Islamabad United. Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Zameer Haider (fourth umpire), Javed Malik (match referee)

21 June – Qualifier (1 v 2). Ahsan Raza and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Aleem Dar (third umpire), Asif Yaqoob (fourth umpire), Javed Malik (match referee); Eliminator 1 (3 v 4). Aleem Dar and Shozab Raza (on-field umpire), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Ahsan Raza (fourth umpire), Javed Malik (match referee)

22 June – Eliminator 2 (loser Qualifier v winner Eliminator 1). Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Shozab Raza (fourth umpire), Muhammad Anees (match referee)

24 June – Final. Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire), Muhammad Anees (match referee)