Pakistani captain Babar Azam expressed great admiration for Fakhar Zaman's outstanding performance against New Zealand, which led to a crucial 21-run victory (DLS method) for the Green Shirts at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India on Saturday, November 4.
In a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on their social media account, Babar, 29, commented that as long as Fakhar was at the crease, they believed they could have successfully chased a target as high as 450.
Babar said, "My perspective was that as long as Fakhar was in the game, we could have even chased 450. When he delivers innings like this, we win 90% of the matches. After each six he hit, I advised him not to take unnecessary risks, but he sometimes ignored my advice and continued hitting sixes. So, I told him, 'Do whatever you want, just don't get out.' This is one of the best innings I've witnessed."
Babar also confirmed that they did not consider the possibility of rain during the match, as their sole focus was on pursuing the target set by New Zealand.
"We didn't have rain in our thoughts at all," he explained. "However, the clouds suddenly appeared, and we had to calculate the DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method. We were determined to stick with it. We aimed to preserve our wickets, and I tried to take the game deep, while Fakhar took advantage of the short boundary. We ensured that the required run rate stayed under control."
Sitting beside Babar in the same video, Fakhar Zaman commented that, of all the wickets he had batted on during the World Cup, this one was the most favorable for batting.
"Among all the pitches we've encountered in this World Cup, this one was the best," Fakhar said. "It was evident from the second over that it was an excellent batting wicket. If bowlers like Southee and Boult are not getting much swing, you know it's a great pitch to bat on. After the initial four overs, any hint of swing disappeared, which provided me even more freedom. This innings, being a part of the World Cup, might be one of my favorites. However, it doesn't surpass the 193 runs I scored at the Wanderers, which has the fastest wicket in the world and can be challenging for Asian players. But this innings, considering the situation and the runs I contributed, made me very pleased."
It's important to note that Pakistan faces a crucial match against England on November 11 in Kolkata, which they must win.
In a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on their social media account, Babar, 29, commented that as long as Fakhar was at the crease, they believed they could have successfully chased a target as high as 450.
Babar said, "My perspective was that as long as Fakhar was in the game, we could have even chased 450. When he delivers innings like this, we win 90% of the matches. After each six he hit, I advised him not to take unnecessary risks, but he sometimes ignored my advice and continued hitting sixes. So, I told him, 'Do whatever you want, just don't get out.' This is one of the best innings I've witnessed."
Babar also confirmed that they did not consider the possibility of rain during the match, as their sole focus was on pursuing the target set by New Zealand.
"We didn't have rain in our thoughts at all," he explained. "However, the clouds suddenly appeared, and we had to calculate the DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method. We were determined to stick with it. We aimed to preserve our wickets, and I tried to take the game deep, while Fakhar took advantage of the short boundary. We ensured that the required run rate stayed under control."
Sitting beside Babar in the same video, Fakhar Zaman commented that, of all the wickets he had batted on during the World Cup, this one was the most favorable for batting.
"Among all the pitches we've encountered in this World Cup, this one was the best," Fakhar said. "It was evident from the second over that it was an excellent batting wicket. If bowlers like Southee and Boult are not getting much swing, you know it's a great pitch to bat on. After the initial four overs, any hint of swing disappeared, which provided me even more freedom. This innings, being a part of the World Cup, might be one of my favorites. However, it doesn't surpass the 193 runs I scored at the Wanderers, which has the fastest wicket in the world and can be challenging for Asian players. But this innings, considering the situation and the runs I contributed, made me very pleased."
It's important to note that Pakistan faces a crucial match against England on November 11 in Kolkata, which they must win.
