PAK vs NZ: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan Should Open For Pakistan, States Fakhar Zaman

Pakistan National Cricket Team batter Fakhar Zaman opines that Mohammad Rizwan and team captain Babar Azam should open the batting for the national side.

Zaman hit a century in Pakistan’s first ODI against New Zealand, taking his side to the win and being named Player of the Match in the process. He did bat at his preferred opening position in the the match with Imam-ul-Haq, while Babar Azam came in to bat at no.3.

IPL 2023 | Dream11 Prediction | Fantasy Cricket Tips | Cricket Match Prediction Today | Cricket News | Cricket Live Score 

A natural opener, Fakhar Zaman has stated in the past that he wants to open batting for Pakistan

Also read: PAK vs NZ: Pakistan Becomes Only The Third National Team To Win 500 ODI Matches

After the recent match against New Zealand, the 33-year old was asked about who he thinks should open batting for the national side. He stated that he is a better player of spin, and should come in to bat when spin is introduced, in the middle overs.

IPL 2023 | India National Cricket Team | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Delhi Capitals (DC) | Gujarat Titans (GT) | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) | Mumbai Indians (MI) | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) | SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) 

“I have played as an opener throughout my career but if you look at the team’s situation – I don’t speak diplomatically – do you think Babar and Rizwan can hit more against spinners or I can?

“I think I can hit big more often than them so we need a left-hander in a team combination, in-fact we need two left-handers. I don’t think anybody else should open given how Babar and Rizwan have been batting,” said Fakhar Zaman

Also read: PAK vs NZ: Haris Sohail Suffers An Injury Ahead Of Pakistan vs New Zealand ODI Series

“It wasn’t that easy” – Fakhar Zaman describes the pitch against New Zealand

Pakistan took on New Zealand in the first of 5 ODI series. While batting first at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, the guests manages to put up 288/7 in their allotted 50 over.

In response, the hosts chased the score down with 9 balls to spare, winning the match by 5 wickets. Fakhar Zaman, for his 117-off-114, was named the Player of the Match.

In a post-match interview, Zaman described how the pitch in Rawalpindi might not have been as easy to bat on as it looked, saying –

“The wicket was good but it wasn’t like where you even half-hit the ball and you get the desired result. It wasn’t that easy today.”

Also read: PAK vs NZ: “This Is Not Club Cricket” – Rashid Latif Slams Pakistan Players For Prioritizing Mohammad Rizwan’s Century Over Team Score

Fakhar Zaman will look to cement his place in the national team with consistent performances, as Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the second ODI on April 29.

Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Rahul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah