Pakistan batter Iftikhar Ahmed slammed the media after the Champions Cup final, for overhyping young players, only to turn on them when they face challenges at the international stage. The Markhors’ captain, visibly agitated after his team’s loss to the Panthers in the Champions Cup final, responded sharply to a question about young talent emerging from the tournament.
During the post-match press conference, Iftikhar lambasted the media for prematurely glorifying young players after just one good performance. “Media ne kya dekh liya hai (What has the media observed)?” he retorted when asked which players the Champions Cup had unearthed. He argued that the media’s habit of overhyping players after one successful inning creates unrealistic expectations, setting them up for failure when they transition to international cricket.
“I am not against anyone,” Iftikhar clarified, “but I tell you, the media, don’t hype someone so much after just one innings, like we have found the next big talent. Let them perform in domestic cricket. Let them succeed there for 2-3 seasons, and then we can talk about their prospects for Pakistan.”
The 34-year-old all-rounder, who has represented Pakistan in 4 Tests, 28 ODIs, and 66 T20Is, stressed the importance of domestic cricket as the true testing ground for emerging talent. “Ek innings mei aap upar le ke jaate, fir jab woh Pakistan ke liye fail ho jata hai, toh kehte ho ‘yeh kahan se laye ho, yeh toh kuch bhi nahi hai’ (After one innings, you lift a player to the top, but when they fail for Pakistan, you ask where they came from, saying they’re nothing),” Iftikhar said in a pointed remark aimed at the media’s inconsistent support.
His outburst comes at a time when Pakistan cricket is facing internal turmoil, with national selector Mohammad Yousuf recently resigning amid criticism following the team’s disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. There has also been growing criticism of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for overlooking consistent domestic performers.
“For god’s sake, let a player succeed in all formats in domestic cricket, then talk about him. You guys talk so much, like ‘Pakistan has got another Inzamam.’ I am not against anyone. I am telling everyone to give domestic cricket its due respect,” Iftikhar urged, highlighting the need for patience and sustained performance before placing unrealistic expectations on young players.
Iftikhar also blamed the media for contributing to the negative atmosphere surrounding cricket in Pakistan. “Aap logon ki wajah se cricket ka jo sara mahaul hai woh kharab ho gaya hai (The cricketing environment has deteriorated because of you),” he said.
