Salman Butt: “Fakhar Zaman’s slow start increases pressure. If he fails to compensate later and gets out, it burdens others. After Babar and Rizwan, if Fakhar also takes up too much time, it becomes difficult to manage”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has urged top order batsman Fakhar Zaman to score quickly when he comes out to bat as it can be a burden on others if he takes too much time.
Salman noted that Zaman’s job is to accelerate the scoring rate and ensure the men in green are on track to make a big score.
If the 34-year-old fails to do this, it adds a lot of pressure on the middle order batsmen to pick up the slack.
“Fakhar Zaman’s slow start increases pressure. If he fails to compensate later and gets out, it burdens others. After Babar and Rizwan, if Fakhar also takes up too much time, it becomes difficult to manage,” Salman was quoted as saying by PakPassion on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In Pakistan’s recent five-match T20I series against New Zealand, Zaman amassed 104 runs in two games, which included a top score of 61, at an average of 52 and a strike-rate of 133.33.
He then proceeded to make 98 runs in three T20Is against Ireland, which included a top score of 78, at an average of 49 and a strike-rate of 168.96.
Pakistan are now facing England in a four-match T20I series and find themselves 1-0 down after losing the second game by 23 runs.
Following this, they will feature in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and United States of America from June 1 to 29.
Pakistan’s first T20 World Cup game will be against the United States of America in Dallas on June 6.
Pakistan Squad for Ireland and England T20I Series: Babar Azam (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for 2024 T20 World Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
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