Sam Billings: “Fakhar Zaman was phenomenal. When he’s playing well he holds his shape and hits 360 degrees effortlessly so there’s not many places as a bowler you can bowl to him”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Sam Billings, the England wicketkeeper-batsman, said Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman is a phenomenal 360-degree hitter when he is on fire.
He added that bowlers will have a tough time bowling to the 33-year-old from Mardan when he’s in top form as he will take them to the cleaners.
Billings played alongside Zaman for the Lahore Qalandars in the 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where the attacking Pakistan batsman made 429 runs in 13 matches, which included a century and two fifties, at an average of 33 and a strike-rate of 160.67.
He was also in exceptional form during Pakistan’s recent five-match ODI series against New Zealand as he accumulated 363 runs, which included two hundreds, at an average of 90.75 and a strike-rate of 99.45.
“Fakhar Zaman was phenomenal. When he’s playing well he holds his shape and hits 360 degrees effortlessly so there’s not many places as a bowler you can bowl to him,” Billings was quoted as saying by respected journalist Saj Sadiq on Twitter.
Pakistan are now playing a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which will be held until July 28.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Test Series:Â Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood