Iftikhar Ahmed apologizes for failing to finish the match against NZ

Pakistan all-rounder, Iftikhar Ahmed, has issued an apology for not being able to lead Pakistan to victory in the third T20I series against New Zealand at the Gaddafi stadium, Lahore.

Ahmed's outstanding performance saw him score a blistering 60 runs in just 24 balls, hitting three fours and six huge sixes, but it was not enough for his team to win the match and faced defeat by just four runs.

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In a post-match interview, the destructive all-rounder expressed his disappointment at the missed opportunity to win the game but was confident that Pakistan will emerge victorious in the upcoming matches.

"To all Pakistan fans, we are sorry, we could have won the game. We put a lot of efforts but lost the match but we will win the series in Islamabad for sure," he said.

The 32-year-old admitted that the team had put in a lot of efforts and were only going for boundaries in every over but fell short.

"In International cricket, there is a lot of pressure on the players and while chasing with a net run-rate of 15 and 16, I talked with Faheem Ashraf that we should start hitting boundaries," he concluded.

.@IftiAhmed221 and @iFaheemAshraf talk about their blistering stand in the third T20I and look ahead to the remaining two matches in Rawalpindi.#PAKvNZ | #CricketMubarak pic.twitter.com/HwLHAgI6S3

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) April 17, 2023

Pakistan captain, Babar Azam in a post-match interview, revealed the reason behind sending Iftikhar at number eight in batting order in the aforementioned match.

"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," said Babar.