Fakhar Zaman on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan: “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”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Fakhar Zaman, the attacking Pakistan top order batsman, believes he “can hit big more often” than captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in T20Is.
Zaman noted that he can hit spinners all over the park and play a more aggressive style of cricket in comparison to his two teammates.
While his comments may raise questions about Pakistan’s batting order in the shortest format, the 33-year-old from Mardan insisted he is happy with his current position in the line-up.
Many cricketers, including former interim chief selector Shahid Afridi, have voiced their opinions that the men in green need to have a more attacking batsman like Zaman open the batting in T20Is.
“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,” Zaman was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan are now playing a two-Test series against Sri Lanka and hold a 1-0 lead after winning the first Test in Galle by four wickets.
The second Test will start on July 24 in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Test Series: 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