Fakhar Zaman Admits Of Having Taken His Place For Granted In The Pakistan Team

Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan opener and the only double-centurion in the history of their ODI cricket, has admitted of becoming overconfident and taking his place for granted in the national side.

Zaman, who has been named in the 29-member squad for the tour of England, told reporters that he has learned the value of spending time on crease and placing a prize on his wicket before going for extravagant shots.

“To be honest, I became overconfident. Even when I played domestic cricket, I always took my time. I’ll give credit to Mickey Arthur that he gave me the freedom. Because of that, I started played aggressively,” Fakhar Zaman was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.

“You cannot start hitting the new ball from the start. My role will remain the same – to be an aggressive player at the top. But, if you see, I tried playing a scoop in the first over against Sri Lanka. What I am saying is, I won’t make those mistakes. I’ll try that our run rate is about 8 or 9. My aim will be to ensure I bat long so that it helps the team,” he added.

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“My goal now is to gain my permanent spot back with my performance”- Fakhar Zaman

Fakhar Zaman hopes that the minor adjustments that he has made to his technique will benefit him.

“I have come up with this technique only, so I don’t need to make a lot of changes. It is just some adjustments, like in the grip or a small change in the stance, I have made these small adjustments,” he said. “At this level, if I change my technique, I won’t have a lot of time. I am very happy with it, and you will see very soon when you see me playing how the adjustments I have made are making a huge difference.” Fakhar Zaman explained.

Zaman, who hasn’t played an international game since Pakistan’s tour of Australia last November, is now focussed on cementing his place in the national side via consistent performances.

“My goal now is to gain my permanent spot back with my performance. Irrespective of whether I score 15-20 or a fifty or a century, I hope it helps Pakistan in that match. In a T20 you don’t plan much, but I hope to show the selectors that I belong to this level and that I can play for long for Pakistan,” Zaman said.

Pakistan will play three Tests and as many T20Is in England, starting August 05.

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