TEHRAN (Superleague) - If fans of international basketball have been able to watch Hamed Afagh represent Iran in the big tournaments over the years, they will know how much of a pest he can be on defense.

He was spectacular at the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship, leading the national team with 18 steals in nine games in a successful title defense.

While he can also get hot on offense - something he did at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship when burying 15 of 22 three-pointers in an incredible five-game stretch against China, India, Bahrain, Kazakhstan and Jordan - it's his penchant for picking players' pockets that has really caught the eye.

That skill was evident at last year's FIBA Basketball World Cup when Iran faced France in Group A of the competition in Granada.

Afagh is sure to log plenty of minutes at this summer's FIBA Asia Championship in China and lead Iran's defensive effort yet again.

The 1.92m shooting guard, who turned 32 on 1 February, has been hounding the opposition in Iran's Superleague of late.

Playing again with two-time defending champions Petrochimi, he had four steals in a 70-66 defeat in Game 1 of the Semi-Finals against Azad, and two more in a 72-69 win in Game 2.

In a thrilling Game 3 decider, Afagh came to the fore again with his defense. He came up with three steals as Petrochimi claimed a 73-68 triumph.

FIBA