Fakhar Zaman "Needed an innings like this and I had been trying to play like this for a while"

[Mamoon]

A strike rate of 124 after 155 balls in which 132 runs came of 20 deliveries in boundaries shows how poorly paced his innings was.

The 61 runs that he scored in 125 deliveries ultimately cost Pakistan the match.

You cannot bat at a SR of 60 odd for the first half of your innings and then catch up later no matter how much you throw your bat around.

Pakistan lost this match because of the Fakhar-Shadab and Fakhar-Asif partnerships.

His batting between the 10th and 30th overs was ridiculous.

Yes he did not get any support from the middle-order but that doesn’t change the fact that he did not pace his innings properly in the middle-overs.

Had he done that Pakistan could have won the match in spite of the lack of performances from others.

Nevertheless, he has cemented his place in the side and I hope we don’t have to wait for another 2 years to get a big score from him.

[El Generico]

He is probably one of toughest players we have ever had. Most Pakistani players fold and fall away after being dropped. But Zaman fought his way back and clearly established himself as the top opener in the country.

[RedwoodOriginal]

For me Fakhar fitness was more astonishing.

Anwar / Inzi would have been playing with a runner after a 100!

I've seen fitter players cramping up after scoring a hundred. Fakhar's fitness has always stood out. Probably goes back to his Navy background.

[rhony]

Missed the game today but Pak is now stuck with Zaman for atleast 2 more years. Is it good or bad? Time will tell.

[BunnyRabbit]

Always liked him for his grit. He did struggle initially like he usually does. Having Imam at the other end doesn't make it easier either and we get two openers both of whom take eons to settle in. He did make the most of it. Showed how strong he is against wrist spin.

He should be told to take his time to settle in, and should work at his start of inning to get going earlier, something Imam also needs.

Feeling good for him. We don't have any other option (better option) in the wings.

[shujaatraza]

A strike rate of 124 after 155 balls in which 132 runs came of 20 deliveries in boundaries shows how poorly paced his innings was.

The 61 runs that he scored in 125 deliveries ultimately cost Pakistan the match.

You cannot bat at a SR of 60 odd for the first half of your innings and then catch up later no matter how much you throw your bat around.

Pakistan lost this match because of the Fakhar-Shadab and Fakhar-Asif partnerships.

His batting between the 10th and 30th overs was ridiculous.

Yes he did not get any support from the middle-order but that doesn’t change the fact that he did not pace his innings properly in the middle-overs.

Had he done that Pakistan could have won the match in spite of the lack of performances from others.

Nevertheless, he has cemented his place in the side and I hope we don’t have to wait for another 2 years to get a big score from him.

Bro sometimes your hate for Pakistan cricket gets so obvious. This post only shows that you have no knowledge about cricket which is not the case. At least be neutral when commenting about Pakistan cricket

[ARK Rafay]

A strike rate of 124 after 155 balls in which 132 runs came of 20 deliveries in boundaries shows how poorly paced his innings was.

The 61 runs that he scored in 125 deliveries ultimately cost Pakistan the match.

You cannot bat at a SR of 60 odd for the first half of your innings and then catch up later no matter how much you throw your bat around.

Pakistan lost this match because of the Fakhar-Shadab and Fakhar-Asif partnerships.

His batting between the 10th and 30th overs was ridiculous.

Yes he did not get any support from the middle-order but that doesn’t change the fact that he did not pace his innings properly in the middle-overs.

Had he done that Pakistan could have won the match in spite of the lack of performances from others.

Nevertheless, he has cemented his place in the side and I hope we don’t have to wait for another 2 years to get a big score from him.

Take a breather

[moghul]

Zaman we have Fakhar ( pride ) on you , thanks for proving us the entertainment and kept the thrill in the game alive till the end.

Fakhar kept on fighting but Shadab and Asif made it too difficult for him to catch up.

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Told you he would deliver. He is a ICC tournament final centurion. He deserves more respect.

[TeymurBlake]

Good knock. Hopefully this form continues for some time.

[Kaka4pope]

Zaman’s a good player, a good LOI batsman, a good fielder and a tidy bowler - the latter needs to be made more use of.

Not as talented as Rohit nor as consistently powerful as Bairstow but still a good player - credit to him.

Even does a decent interview in English for all those it matters to.

[Mobashir]

Bro sometimes your hate for Pakistan cricket gets so obvious. This post only shows that you have no knowledge about cricket which is not the case. At least be neutral when commenting about Pakistan cricket

He know a little bit about cricket.
He just hates anything related to Pakistan.

[Mobashir]

An all time great innings, deserved a double.
Really special innings.

[Usman Chadda]

Missed the game today but Pak is now stuck with Zaman for atleast 2 more years. Is it good or bad? Time will tell.

We have no one, and probably never will for the next few years, who could play an innings like this in their lifetime. This man is a freak when on song.

[Concerned]

Not sure why people are criticising his strike rate during his innings. For those who watched the game, his strike rate was impacted by the wickets falling all around him.

For those who follow Pakistan cricket, they should know Fakhar is not one who takes many overs to settle in. He is one of the better players when it comes to strike rates.

[cricketerB94]

In recent history (today, and one match in England just before 2019 WC), there were two instances where Pakistan was really close to chase the target of around 350. In both of those matches, Fakhar was standout performer for Pakistan. Credit goes to him.

[Angrez Pakistani]

Needs a similar inning in the next ODI. He needs a series winning knock under his belt. Also, seeing the clueless lower order batting, I have to say that there’s a strong case for someone like Sohail Akhtar to find his way into this team. Can’t do worse then someone like Asif Ali.

[Mamoon]

Not sure why people are criticising his strike rate during his innings. For those who watched the game, his strike rate was impacted by the wickets falling all around him.

For those who follow Pakistan cricket, they should know Fakhar is not one who takes many overs to settle in. He is one of the better players when it comes to strike rates.

Fakhar’s problem is that he is completely reliant on boundaries. You dry out the boundary balls and it is painful to watch him bat because he has no finesse and he cannot work the ball around.

This is why he was flattered to deceive more often than not and failed at the World Cup in 2019 because the opposition bowlers bowled smartly to him.

His strike today during the partnerships with Shadab and Asif were not because of the tumbling wickets but because South Africa did not give the boundary balls that they were offering for free in the last 20 overs.

[King-Misbah]

Fakhar is a legend, his performance in the Champions Trophy alone makes him better then any other opener in Pakistan history.

I was right, took 24 hours for Fakhar to prove his worth as the best Pakistani opener.

[rhony]

We have no one, and probably never will for the next few years, who could play an innings like this in their lifetime. This man is a freak when on song.

No doubts about that. Smoked Shamsi

[Kroll]

Fakhar was bashed here for ages due to his inconsistency over the last few years. However, he always had a very high ceiling and its good that Pakistan have persisted with him.

What Fakhar needs to do going forward is reign in his belligerence a bit at the start of the innings. Trying to hit the ball out of the park every ball is going to be his downfall more often than not. When he's in that zone later on though, he sees the ball like a beachball there to be smoked.

I think he brought up his half century in around 70 balls, so that shows the acceleration he was able to do by the time he was out. He just needs a bit of patience at the start and that consistency that we need from him will come.

[Usman Chadda]

Fakhar was bashed here for ages due to his inconsistency over the last few years. However, he always had a very high ceiling and its good that Pakistan have persisted with him.

What Fakhar needs to do going forward is reign in his belligerence a bit at the start of the innings. Trying to hit the ball out of the park every ball is going to be his downfall more often than not. When he's in that zone later on though, he sees the ball like a beachball there to be smoked.

I think he brought up his half century in around 70 balls, so that shows the acceleration he was able to do by the time he was out. He just needs a bit of patience at the start and that consistency that we need from him will come.

Which is why he needs someone like Sharjeel batting alongside him, who can clear the fence by playing proper cricketing strokes. Fakhar has been thrust into this uber-aggressive role since be debuted, when he was actually a proper batsman at the time in domestic cricket. Testament to his temperament that he has taken this dasher role to task and worked on it, albeit with inconsistent returns.

Not sure what we do with Imam, as he is doing well, but that SR will continue to hurt us. It’s imperative we ease Sharjeel back into the team and after a long time, will we have two proper modern day batsmen opening for Pakistan.

[Savak]

Fakhar relies a lot on hacking. That will only work 1 out of 10 times

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Fakhar’s problem is that he is completely reliant on boundaries. You dry out the boundary balls and it is painful to watch him bat because he has no finesse and he cannot work the ball around.

This is why he was flattered to deceive more often than not and failed at the World Cup in 2019 because the opposition bowlers bowled smartly to him.

His strike today during the partnerships with Shadab and Asif were not because of the tumbling wickets but because South Africa did not give the boundary balls that they were offering for free in the last 20 overs.

Fakhar has his limitations, for sure. But I found him faultless in this innings.

A times during his innings, he needed the other guy, any guy, to take responsibility and increase the run rate. This way Fakhar could make sure he would bat 50 overs and not have to take risks.

I have not seen any innings in my life, where literally everyone, 1 to 10, have a strike rate of below 100 while chasing 300+. In fact, most Pakistani batsmen have strike rates below 70. I am most miffed at Shaheen and Haris of all batsmen. Utterly criminal.

Imam 50
Babar 94
Rizwan 0
Danish 64
Shadab 57
Asif 70
Faheem 92
Shaheen 33
Haris 20

Fakhar really fought both the opposition and his own team. I can't find a parallel.

[iniqbal223]

A strike rate of 124 after 155 balls in which 132 runs came of 20 deliveries in boundaries shows how poorly paced his innings was.

The 61 runs that he scored in 125 deliveries ultimately cost Pakistan the match.

You cannot bat at a SR of 60 odd for the first half of your innings and then catch up later no matter how much you throw your bat around.

Pakistan lost this match because of the Fakhar-Shadab and Fakhar-Asif partnerships.

His batting between the 10th and 30th overs was ridiculous.

Yes he did not get any support from the middle-order but that doesn’t change the fact that he did not pace his innings properly in the middle-overs.

Had he done that Pakistan could have won the match in spite of the lack of performances from others.

Nevertheless, he has cemented his place in the side and I hope we don’t have to wait for another 2 years to get a big score from him.

Shows the lack of cricketing knowledge

Count the GOOD days (here boundaries) he says.. batsmen need to play those dots to settle in (sometimes) to hit those boundaries

[shamaan]

Fakhar needs to continue using the method he did in the last game by actually occuping the crease and if he does that runs will come easily for him.

[zulfiqar]

Good fight from Fakhar. His limitation (poor strike rotation) and strength (hitting boundaries) were on full display today. A batsman like him can still find success in ODIs as long as he doesn't waste the first 10 overs of the game and get bogged down (for example, his innings vs Bangladesh in WC '19). If his game is hitting boundaries, he has to be able to find them or force them, which can become hard against top bowling attacks. I would still back him despite his limitations because he's shown he doesn't mind the pressure of big occasions - and would love for him to repay the faith a lot of us had in him prior to the '19 WC by playing well leading up to and at the '23 WC

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

A strike rate of 124 after 155 balls in which 132 runs came of 20 deliveries in boundaries shows how poorly paced his innings was.

The 61 runs that he scored in 125 deliveries ultimately cost Pakistan the match.

You cannot bat at a SR of 60 odd for the first half of your innings and then catch up later no matter how much you throw your bat around.

Pakistan lost this match because of the Fakhar-Shadab and Fakhar-Asif partnerships.

His batting between the 10th and 30th overs was ridiculous.

Yes he did not get any support from the middle-order but that doesn’t change the fact that he did not pace his innings properly in the middle-overs.

Had he done that Pakistan could have won the match in spite of the lack of performances from others.

Nevertheless, he has cemented his place in the side and I hope we don’t have to wait for another 2 years to get a big score from him.

Champions trophy bhool gayee kya ;)

[Firebat]

Just picking up where he left off - on track for a 2nd consecutive ODI century. Brilliant innings once again!

[Firebat]

Fakhar Zaman will stay with the side for the T20Is in South Africa and Zimbabwe, after he was initially named for the ODIs.

[Saj]

Fakhar Zaman after the 3rd ODI against South Africa

My plan was very simple and that was to survive the first 8 to 10 overs and play normally.

In these grounds in the morning, it’s not that easy to bat especially against 2 new balls so our plan was to just survive the first 10 overs.

It means a lot to me to score these runs in the series. I was suffering the last 2 years and didn’t score many runs. It was necessary for me and for my team. Thanks to my skipper for believing in me and giving me these opportunities. I’m so happy with winning the series.

[Prince of Pakistan]

Consistency is the next challenge for Fakhar Zaman.

[shamaan]

Good to see someone who has been backed for the last 2 years now re paying the faith that he got

[Badsha]

A strike rate of 124 after 155 balls in which 132 runs came of 20 deliveries in boundaries shows how poorly paced his innings was.

The 61 runs that he scored in 125 deliveries ultimately cost Pakistan the match.

You cannot bat at a SR of 60 odd for the first half of your innings and then catch up later no matter how much you throw your bat around.

Pakistan lost this match because of the Fakhar-Shadab and Fakhar-Asif partnerships.

His batting between the 10th and 30th overs was ridiculous.

Yes he did not get any support from the middle-order but that doesn’t change the fact that he did not pace his innings properly in the middle-overs.

Had he done that Pakistan could have won the match in spite of the lack of performances from others.

Nevertheless, he has cemented his place in the side and I hope we don’t have to wait for another 2 years to get a big score from him.

I sometimes come back to this forum to read some posts and I genuinely feel concerned and sorry for you. I have never read more negative opinions from anyone else in the world. Take care bro, please don't be so miserable.