One could notice the relief in Fakhar Zaman’s face after his breezy 81 helped Pakistan romp to a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh here on Tuesday.
The left-handed opener did sustain a knee injury, but that wasn’t serious enough to rule him out for long. In his comeback game of this World Cup though, Fakhar ensured he made the opportunity count.
Pakistan's Haris Rauf celebrates after dismissing Mushfiqur Rahim at the Eden on Tuesday. Picture by Santosh Ghosh
Fakhar agreed that the loss to India in Ahmedabad had affected the team morale. But the confident win on Tuesday will certainly keep them in a better mental space.
“India aur Pakistan ka match bahut badaa hota hai. Aur uska fark toh padhta hai (An India-Pakistan match is a big one. That does make a difference).
“But that said, we are all professional players and have played enough cricket, including against India. The rhythm we have been building since the game against South Africa seems to be working. I do hope that the more we play, the better will we do,” Fakhar observed at the post-match news conference.
About his innings, he said: “Given the Indian wickets, if a batsman spends 3-4 overs at the crease, run-scoring becomes easier. The boundaries are also not too big.”
