Ask Team India about the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 finals and one man whole India would be talking about would be left handed flamboyance of Fakhar Zaman from Pakistan who then took away the coveted trophy from the Indians scoring a valiant 137 on debut vs them. Over the years Fakhar Zaman has been the vital cog as an opener in the white ball leg for the Pakistani team .
His pyrotechnics and skill with the bat with the left handed elegance had often given Pakistan many memorable victories in recent past the recent more being a match smashing 126 runs in a rain marred game versus New Zealand in the World Cup to stamp his authority as a white ball opener.
However in T20I internationals, since 2020 the rise of Mohammad Rizwan and then captain Babar Azam as a settled opening pair, Fakhar had to for the teams interest to step down at No 3 from his original opener spot. However in the T2OI World Cup 2021 semis vs the then champions Australia Fakhar’s innings of 55 runs of 32 balls with a healthy strike rate of 171.87 proved his ability with the bat at any position helping the team to respectable position.
Fakhar Zaman has opened up on his movement to No 3 spot for the teams interest and express how he feels about the same in the dynamics suitable for the team to win a coveted title or a series.
Fakhar Zaman ready to sacrifice his opening position for the team
Left handed Fakhar Zaman will continue sacrificing his opening batter slot for Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in the upcoming T20I series in New Zealand, which starts at Eden Park in Auckland on January 12.
Zaman revealed that he has been asked to play at No.3 or 4 by the team management in the upcoming series. The swashbuckling opener added that former captain Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan will continue to be first-choice openers for Pakistan, owing to their stellar record in the shortest format.
Zaman was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan:
“Competition is necessary for any team. It’s good that six players are available for one spot in the team. I have always opened for the team but as per situation, I have been instructed to play one down or two down, because as you know Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been performing as openers. The coach and captain has commanded me to play one down or two down and I am happy with that.” said Fakhar Zaman.
Notably, Zaman has not played as an opener in the shortest format since the T20I series against Zimbabwe in 2020. As an opener, the 33-year-old scored 812 runs in 36 innings at an average of 22.56, including four half-centuries. At No.3, Zaman has amassed 522 runs in 26 innings at an average of 22.70. In the same slot, he scored 64 runs in three innings against New Zealand earlier this year.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have shared six-century partnerships in T20Is
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have shared six-century partnerships in T20Is since they started opening together for Pakistan. It includes a double-century partnership (203*) against England and four 150+ stands. Fakhar Zaman has got a wide range of shots and can dethrone the opposition
Both Azam and Rizwan fare better than Fakhar Zaman as opener in T20Is. Rizwan has amassed 2612 runs in 58 innings at an average of 56.78, including one century and 25 half-centuries. Meanwhile, Azam has scored 2711 runs in 77 innings at an average of 39.89, including three tons and 24 half-centuries.
Babar and Rizwan are also the two leading run-scorers for Pakistan in T20Is, scoring 3485 (98 innings) and 2797 runs (73 innings), respectively. Meanwhile, Zaman has managed 1433 runs in 69 innings across positions. Above statistics just proved why Fakhar Zaman himself emphasized on the point that at the end what needs to be done is to know what lies best for the teams strategy and work accordingly as a process in achieving the desired results.