Sahibzada Farhan slammed for playing ‘defensive shot’ and prioritising century over team: ‘Kamaal hai’
Sahibzada Farhan, Pakistan’s opening batter, might have scored his maiden T20I century on Wednesday in the T20 World Cup 2026 Group A match against Namibia, but former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan wasn’t pleased with how the player went about his business towards the end of the innings. The 29-year-old played a defensive shot off the second delivery of the final over to bring up his century, but this didn’t amuse Irfan, who said that personal milestones should have taken a back seat and that the team should have been prioritised.
On the second delivery of the 20th over, Farhan just moved forward to drive the ball towards long-on. The single brought up his century, and he became the second Pakistan batter, after Ahmed Shehzad, to score a century in the T20 World Cup.
To make matters worse, he also let the last ball go by as he failed to reach the wide delivery bowled by Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus. The final over wasn’t maximised, and if Shadab Khan hadn’t gotten two sixes, then the score wouldn’t have reached 199.
“He definitely has scored a century, but taking a single? Unbelievable. Unbelievable. You would be happy that you have scored a century and that Pakistan have reached 199,” Irfan said on air.
“But in the last over, you play a defensive shot, then you leave the last ball. Kamaal hai,” he added.
In the end, Farhan remained unbeaten on 100 off 58 balls and his innings included 11 fours and 4 sixes, as he batted at a strike rate of 172.41.
‘This is what you have to do’
Irfan criticised Shadab and Farhan’s approach throughout the entire final over, and he only relented a bit after seeing the former hit two back-to-back sixes.
When Shadab managed to get two maximums, Irfan said, “This is what you have to do. You have to attack the off-spinner. It wasn’t there on the first three (two) balls from Farhan or Shadab.”
Speaking of the Group A match between Pakistan and Namibia, the former won the toss and opted to bat first. The Salman Ali Agha-led side posted 199/3 in 20 overs, owing to an unbeaten century by Farhan. Agha and Shadab also chipped in with valuable knocks of 38 and 35*.
For Namibia, Erasmus scalped one wicket while the remaining two were scalped by Jack Brassell. If Pakistan win the match against Namibia, then a place in the Super 8s would be sealed, and the team would join Group B comprising New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka.
Speaking of Farhan, he has been Pakistan’s best T20I batter in the last four to six months. However, he failed to get going against India after he threw his wicket away off the bowling of Hardik Pandya.
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