PR, 10th May 2023: Pakistan cricket team’s middle-order batter Iftikhar Ahmed has come to the defence of his team-mate Shan Masood during a recent incident with the fans.
Shan was showered with chants of “parchi” during the fifth and final ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand at Karachi by a large section of the crowd.
Iftikhar was quick to come to the defence of his teammate, taking to Twitter to express his disappointment with the incident.
Is video ko dekh ke bohat afsoos hua. Aisay taunts ka shikaar mein khud bhi raha hoon. @shani_official (Shan Masood) is one of the most hardworking & fittest player in the team with amazing work ethics. He has earned his spot through various performances & a lot of runs, he wrote on his Twitter.
Shan Masood was given three out of the five games against New Zealand during the five-match series while Iftikhar Ahmed managed to get two. Despite playing a game less, the 32-year-old outscored his left-handed counterpart.
Iftikhar finished with 122 total runs while Shan could muster only 52 from his three innings.
The fans have long speculated that despite Shan’s repeated failure on the international stage, his amicable relationship with Pakistan’s team director Mickey Arthur has allowed him to stay in Pakistan’s setup.
So far no merit has been found on those claims.
Shan is currently in England as he prepares to lead Yorkshire in their County season.
Reference Link: https://pakobserver.net/iftikhar-ahmed-offers-support-to-shan-masood-during-taunting-episode/