Sohaib Maqsood: “Tell me a bigger white-ball match-winner as [a] batsman for Pakistan in [the] last 7-8 years, I will wait”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Sohaib Maqsood has called batsman Fakhar Zaman Pakistan’s biggest “white-ball match-winner” in the last seven to eight years.
Zaman used to be one of Pakistan’s first-choice players in limited overs cricket due to the incredible firepower he possessed.
Lately, however, he has been in and out of the team as the selectors have given more chances to younger talents.
Zaman recently featured in the Champions T20 Cup and finished as the third-highest run-scorer with 303 runs in 10 matches for the Markhors, which included two fifties, at an average of 30.30 and a strike-rate of 132.31.
He eventually made his international comeback in the ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, and finished with 135 runs, which included a top score of 84, at an average of 45 and a strike-rate of 120.53.
Considering what the 34-year-old has done for Pakistan over the years, Maqsood feels that a player like Zaman cannot be ignored again and must stay in the national team.
“Tell me a bigger white-ball match-winner as [a] batsman for Pakistan in [the] last 7-8 years, I will wait. Tell me a better outfield fielder than Fakhar Zaman for Pakistan, I will wait too,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Zaman took part in the ongoing 2025 Champions Trophy and made 24 runs in the opening game against New Zealand.
However, he suffered an oblique injury in the match and was replaced by Imam-ul-Haq.
Pakistan have been eliminated in the group stage of the Champions Trophy as they lost to New Zealand and India by 60 runs and six wickets respectively.
Their last group stage game will be against Bangladesh on February 27 in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan Squad for 2025 Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah