Pakistan all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed apologized over his heated verbal exchange with senior batter Asad Shafique in the Sindh Premier League (SPL).
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Iftikhar issued an apologetic statement and admitted that he should not have behaved in such a way.
“I am extremely apologetic for my behaviour in the field today. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did in the heat of the moment,” wrote Iftikhar.
Iftikhar Ahmed further shared that he has apologized to Asad Shafique in person and have always held great regard for him.
“I’ve apologised to [Asad Shafique] Bhai in person after the match & have always held great regards for him. We have played a lot of cricket together,” he concluded.
The incident occurred when Karachi Ghazi’s Iftikhar dismissed Larkana Challengers’ Asad in the eighth over of the 161-run pursuit.
In a video, making rounds on social media, Iftikhar was seen doing an animated celebration directed towards Asad which irked the batter, who immediately marched towards the bowler.
Iftikhar Ahmed continued his aggression towards Asad Shafique, forcing the umpires and teammates to intervene and separate both the players.
The all-rounder’s aggressive behaviour with the senior player was massively criticized by the fans, who called it “unprofessional” and “shameful”.
“Very unprofessional behaviour from Iftikhar Ahmed, Shameful behaviour,” a user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“Asad Shafique was 10 times better as cricketer than Iftikhar Ahmed. Such weird attitude comes when you get so much attention from fans even without doing anything good for your team,” another user wrote.
Notably, Karachi Ghazis won the match by 68 runs, courtesy of Iftikhar’s all-round brilliance.
The right-handed batter pulled the Ghazis out of trouble with a gutsy half-century and also picked up three wickets.
His all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
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