Aakash Chopra: “He throws his wicket against spin quite a few times. So Fakhar Zaman could be that slight weak link”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Aakash Chopra, the former India batsman, believes Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman could be the “weak link” for the men in green.
Delving into why this is the case, he noted that the 33-year-old has a tendency to throw his wicket away when facing spinners.
Chopra also pointed out that Zaman’s batting average falls when he plays in Asia and subsequently concluded that he may have a problem against spin bowling.
“Fakhar Zaman – more than 3,000 runs at an average of [44] in [79] matches. Three of his 10 centuries have come in Asia. His average actually falls in Asia. It becomes 38.9 and that actually tells you that maybe it’s spin. He throws his wicket against spin quite a few times. So Fakhar Zaman could be that slight weak link,” he said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Zaman didn’t play in Pakistan’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka, but he did score 59 runs in three ODIs against Afghanistan at an average of 19.66.
In the Asia Cup, the Mardan native amassed 65 runs in five games at a disappointing average of 16.25.
Despite his poor form, Pakistan stuck with him for their opening game in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup against the Netherlands, but he only managed to make 12 runs.
Zaman was subsequently dropped for the next match against Sri Lanka, with his replacement, Abdullah Shafique, scoring a career-best 113, which came off 103 balls and included 10 boundaries and three sixes.
Having beaten both the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, Pakistan will now face India on October 14 in Ahmedabad.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali