Iftikhar Ahmed labels himself as 'tailender,' not middle-order batter

Pakistan all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed has redefined his role in the national cricket team, calling himself a "tailender" rather than a middle-order batter. 

The 34-year-old made this peculiar remark ahead of the upcoming Champions One-Day Cup in Faisalabad.

Iftikhar, part of the Wolves team captained by Mohammad Rizwan, also shared the field with notable names like Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, and Salman Ali Agha. 

During a media interaction, Iftikhar clarified his perception of his role within the Pakistan team. 

"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," said Iftikhar.

His comments come despite his versatile history with the Pakistan squad. The all-rounder's recent appearance for Pakistan was during the 2024 T20 World Cup match against India, where he batted at No.7. Across his T20I career, he has played 55 innings, featuring in various positions – 25 times at No.5, 11 at No.7, 10 at No.6, and other stints at No.4 and No.8.

In One Day Internationals (ODIs), Iftikhar's batting has also spanned multiple spots, with 16 of his 24 knocks coming at No.6. In the Test format, he has batted mainly at No.6, with a single outing at No.7.

It is worth noting that the Champions One-Day Cup, featuring the country's top players and seasoned mentors like Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, and Waqar Younis, will take place at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from September 12 to 29.