Wasim Akram: “You need to go out and middle a few balls before trying to hit big shots. Going after the bowling straight away won’t help you at all. I think this is the problem with Fakhar Zaman”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Wasim Akram said the biggest problem with opening batsman Fakhar Zaman is the fact that he attacks the opposition bowlers right from the get-go without getting his eye in.
Wasim noted that Zaman needs to “middle a few balls” before he can start unleashing the big shots he has become renowned for.
The Sultan of Swing’s advice comes after the 33-year-old went through a dismal patch of form that even saw him get dropped from the playing XI after Pakistan’s opening game against the Netherlands in the ongoing 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
“You need to go out and middle a few balls before trying to hit big shots. Going after the bowling straight away won’t help you at all. I think this is the problem with Fakhar Zaman,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Zaman missed five more World Cup matches before finally getting drafted back into the playing XI at the expense of Imam-ul-Haq, who has not been in great form either.
Having been handed another opportunity to potentially keep hold of his spot in the team, the Mardan native came out guns blazing as he hammered 81 and 126 not out against Bangladesh and New Zealand respectively.
Pakistan won their first two World Cup games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka before going on a four-game losing streak as they were defeated by India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa.
With Zaman leading the charge, the men in green fought back to beat Bangladesh and New Zealand, which kept them in the running to reach the semi-finals.
Pakistan’s last group stage game will be against England on November 11 in Kolkata.
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
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