Ramiz Raja: “He knows how to play One Day [cricket] and how to score in this format”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, said opening batsman Fakhar Zaman knows how to score runs in ODIs as he has done so on numerous occasions.
Zaman is Pakistan’s go-to opener in the 50-over format and recently made 363 runs, which included two centuries, at an average of 90.75 in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand.
Since then he has played in the Global T20 Canada, where he amassed 161 runs in six games for the Vancouver Knights, which included a top score of 73, at an average of 26.83 and a strike-rate of 119.25.
Currently, he is representing B-Love Kandy in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) and has accumulated 156 runs in six matches at an average of 26 and a strike-rate of 115.55.
“Pakistan has developed a knack of chasing down totals and when the opener is in such form then anything is possible because Fakhar has proven this on many occasions and he knows how to play One Day [cricket] and how to score in this format,” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricwick.
Zaman wasn’t picked for Pakistan’s 2-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka, but was named in the squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, which will be held in Sri Lanka from August 22 to 26.
He is also part of Pakistan’s team for the Asia Cup, which will be hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30 to September 17.
Pakistan Squad for Afghanistan ODI Series and 2023 Asia Cup:Â Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel (Afghanistan series only), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr