In the World Cup, Pakistan was knocked out after their first match, and Fakhar Zaman had to sit on the bench and watch five matches. There were several reasons for their early exit. In April, he played a fantastic innings of 180 runs against New Zealand in Rawalpindi, but he couldn’t secure a spot in the T20 format afterward.
However, Fakhar Zaman’s form suffered a setback, and he was brought back against Bangladesh in yesterday’s match. The left-handed opener played a brilliant innings, scoring 81 runs off 74 balls. He was the top scorer of the match and could have reached a century, but he fell short. Despite his dismissal, Pakistan managed to win the match against Bangladesh with 36 runs remaining, thanks to Mohammad Rizwan and Ifthikhar Ahmed.
If Fakhar had hit that six, he could have further advanced towards a century, and Pakistan might have won the match even earlier. Nevertheless, Fakhar’s intention was to finish the match within 28-29 overs, given the challenging equation of net run rate in the World Cup.
In the match against Bangladesh, Pakistan bowled first and restricted them to 204 runs. Pakistan reached the target with 10.5 overs remaining, achieving their fourth consecutive victory in the World Cup. To stay in contention in the World Cup, Pakistan had no other option but to win against Bangladesh.
The remaining matches are crucial for Pakistan’s World Cup campaign, and they will have to keep an eye on other teams’ performances as well. Fakhar emphasized that they aimed to finish the match quickly, considering the challenging situation they were in.
Fakhar began his innings cautiously, but after giving himself an over, he played aggressively. He was well aware of his role in the team and had a clear plan in mind. In the post-match conference, Fakhar mentioned that he told Abdul Shafique that he would watch the first four overs. After that, regardless of the pitch conditions, he would go for a big hit. He knew his role well and believed that he could achieve it.
Pakistan had a great start to the World Cup, winning their first two matches, including a record 345-run chase against Sri Lanka. However, they then faced a surprising slump, losing four consecutive matches, which put their chances in jeopardy. Fakhar’s impressive performance against Bangladesh has given Pakistan renewed hope in the tournament.
In the press conference, Fakhar expressed his ambition for Pakistan to reach the semi-finals. He mentioned that every victory boosts their self-confidence, and they aim to win the next two matches as well, with their ultimate goal being a spot in the semi-finals.
