Amidst the ongoing T20 leagues worldwide approaching their concluding stages, Pakistan is quietly hosting its own tournament, the Sindh Premier League, away from the spotlight. The six-team competition showcases current international players and former capped individuals, including Salman Agha Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, and Sarfaraz Ahmed.
However, the league unexpectedly grabbed the cricketing community’s attention on Wednesday when a heated exchange unfolded on the field between Pakistan’s white-ball star Iftikhar Ahmed and former red-ball legend Asad Shafiq.
In the match where Karachi Ghazis were batting first against Shafiq-led Larkana Challengers, Iftikhar’s standout performance with the bat, scoring a brisk 43-ball 69, contributed to setting a target of 161. The Challengers struggled and collapsed to 92 all-out, with Iftikhar making a significant impact with three wickets, including that of Shafiq.
However, the post-match scenario took an unexpected turn. As Shafiq was leaving the field, an enraged Iftikhar approached him, exchanging heated words before disdainfully instructing the recently retired 38-year-old to return to the dugout after interventions from teammates.
Phadda 😳 @IftiMania got aggressive against Asad Shafiq. Never seen Asad angry and doing such things. Ifti bhai was a bit emotional there 🤦
— muzamilasif (@muzamilasif4) January 31, 2024
VC: SPL#PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/cCu6cunMjR
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. I’ve apologised to @asadshafiq1986 Bhai in person after the match & have always held great regards for him. We have played a lot of cricket together.
— Iftikhar Ahmad (@IftiMania) January 31, 2024
Later in the day, Iftikhar turned to social media to admit he had let emotions get the better of him and had personally apologized to Shafiq after the match, expressing his “great regards for him.” However, the attempt at damage control fell short of satisfying Twitterati’s expectations.