Ex-Pakistani Cricketer Offers Scathing Assessment of Sahibzada Farhan

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has delivered a scathing critique of emerging batter Sahibzada Farhan following his poor performance in Pakistan’s 3-0 T20I series loss to Australia.

The series saw Pakistan’s batting line-up crumble repeatedly, with Farhan’s contributions coming under particular scrutiny.

Sahibzada Farhan, returning to the T20I squad after nearly 10 months, managed just 22 runs across three matches, with his highest score being a modest nine. The right-hander’s consistent struggles against short-pitched deliveries were glaring throughout the series, and Salman Butt did not hold back in his assessment.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former skipper pointed out Farhan’s inability to adapt his technique, especially after being dismissed twice in a similar fashion. “He was late on the ball,” Butt remarked. “After being dismissed once or twice in the same way, a batter should adjust—particularly in Australia, where there’s steep bounce and the new ball comes at you quickly.”

Butt offered practical advice, suggesting Farhan should have either avoided such deliveries or played safer shots. “If you can’t handle short-pitched balls, you take a single towards third man or leave them. But when you keep getting out in the same manner, it shows limited shot selection,” he added.

The former captain used Farhan’s performance to underscore a broader issue in Pakistan’s cricket setup: the gap between domestic and international standards. “This highlights that not every domestic run-scorer is cut out for the international stage,” Butt concluded.

Farhan’s struggles, coupled with Pakistan’s overall batting failures, have sparked debates about team selection and readiness for high-pressure international cricket with new coach Aqib Javed promising changes. With the next series on the horizon, calls for better preparation and strategic choices are likely to grow louder.