Salman Ali Agha: “We needed Fakhar Zaman in the powerplay. Fakhar has been one of the best powerplay batters in the last 5-6 years”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha said top order big-hitter Fakhar Zaman has been one of the “best powerplay batters in the last 5-6 years”.
Zaman recently made his international comeback in the ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, where he amassed 135 runs in three games, which included a top score of 84, at an average of 45 and a strike-rate of 120.53.
He then took part in the 2025 Champions Trophy and scored 24 runs in the opening game against New Zealand before being ruled out of the tournament with an oblique injury.
Salman admitted that the men in green missed the 34-year-old from Mardan for the remainder of the tournament and continue to feel his absence in the ongoing limited overs tour of New Zealand.
“We needed Fakhar Zaman in the powerplay. Fakhar has been one of the best powerplay batters in the last 5-6 years,” he was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Pakistan were crushed 4-1 in their T20I series against New Zealand.
The two sides are now playing a three-match ODI series, which the Black Caps lead 1-0 after securing a 73-run win in the 1st ODI in Napier.
The 2nd ODI will be held on April 2 in Hamilton.
Pakistan Squad for T20I Series against New Zealand: Hasan Nawaz, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Haris, Abdul Samad, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Irfan Khan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for ODI Series against New Zealand: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Irfan Khan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir
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