Sahibzada Farhan is a talented player and has all the ingredients to succeed in T20Is. Sahibzada Farhan was stellar in the deciding T20I against West Indies scoring a decisive 74 off 53 balls and sharing a crucial opening stand with Saim Ayub which laid the platform for a Pakistan victory. Farhan who has been in and out of the side, has taken the opening spot away from Fakhar Zaman so much so that Fakhar now bats at 3 for Pakistan.
Sahibzada Farhan had a quiet outing in the first two games of the series, but when the series was on the line, he stepped up to the plate and scored a valuable 74 and had a great opening stand with Saim Ayub who scored 66. The duo put on 138 for the first wicket and laid the platform for Pakistan to put up an above par score on the surface and eventually Men In Green won the game by 13 runs.
Sahibzada Farhan’s masterful half-century floors West Indies
Sahibzada Farhan came out to open the batting for Pakistan with Saim Ayub after Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. The duo played out the initial overs and then gradually accelerated to build the innings up. They were steady in the powerplay scoring 47 runs in 6 overs and even in middle overs they played the situation and got to 130/0 in 15 overs to set things up for the death overs for the men to follow.
Farhan was the aggressor of the two scoring at a fair strike rate and made 74 off 53 balls. Ayub played second fiddle and got out much later in the 19th over while Farhan perished in the 17th over. Farhan looked at ease and played some stylish shots to score a masterful and classy 74 runs. It meant Pakistan got to an above par total and won the game in the end.
Sahibzada Farhan could be the X-factor and lightning spark that Pakistan needs in order to do well in the marquee events. The Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup is on the horizon and Farhan could be the man complimenting really well with Saim Ayub to give Pakistan good solid starts in the powerplay and once they get runs on the board, they have the bowling to defend the score.
Sahibzada Farhan Performance Over The Years
It’s still early days for Sahibzada Farhan in T20I as he has played 15 games so far in which he has scored 315 runs at an average of 21 and strike rate of 127. He has 3 50s to his name as he scored 63 off 41 against Bangladesh in the third and final T20I of that series. He also scored 74 off 41 balls against Bangladesh in Lahore in May/June showing great promise and potential.
But Farhan has made a great name in domestic cricket as he has scored 2501 runs in 72 matches in which he has scored 14 fifties and 5 hundreds with an average of 40.34 and strike rate of 148.16. His best score is 162 in Domestic T20. These numbers clearly suggest the mettle that Farhan is made of. In PSL as well, he has played 33 matches in which he has scored 906 runs at an average of 30.20 and strike rate of 134.02. He has 6 fifties and a solitary hundred to his name with his best score being 106.
Farhan has a lot of potential and can be the next big thing in Pakistan cricket if he can be given the right backing and consistent games. Lately, he was just coming and playing in place of Fakhar Zaman, but now with his recent exploits, he should always be part of the playing XI at the top of the order. Farhan also must know that he too must be consistent and hope to do well in the coming series. In T20Is, he is a sure starter and must make the most of his opportunities.
What Lies Ahead.Â
Both teams will now switch formats and go to the longer version of white-ball cricket. The ODI series kicks off on August 8th at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. All three matches will be played there. New teams for both with Mohammad Rizwan leading Pakistan and Shai Hope continuing to lead West Indies. ODI cricket will be played by both teams after a long time as they have been busy playing T20 Cricket.
So, which team will have the upper hand in ODIs? Will Pakistan continue the momentum and win the ODIs as well? Or will West Indies fight back and show courage to win the series against Pakistan? Only time will tell as the first of three matches comes our way on Friday night.
Also Read: WI vs PAK: Jason Holder’s All-Round Heroics Astonishes Pakistan