Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman: “If the team wants me to bat at number four or five, I’m happy to do so because the team always comes first. That said, I still prefer to open”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan power-hitter Fakhar Zaman has made it clear that he prefers to open the batting, but is willing to drop down and bat at number four or five if necessary.
Zaman recently made his comeback in the ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, where he struck 135 runs in three matches, which included a top score of 84, at an average of 45 and a strike-rate of 120.53.
He then featured 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.
As a result of the injury, Zaman missed Pakistan’s recent white-ball tour of New Zealand, where the men in green lost the T20I series 4-1 and the ODI series 3-0.
During his international career, the 34-year-old has batted at different positions despite being a specialist opener. However, he is ready to keep making the sacrifice “because the team always comes first” in his eyes.
“If the team wants me to bat at number four or five, I’m happy to do so because the team always comes first. That said, I still prefer to open,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Zaman is expected to be fully fit for the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he will represent the Lahore Qalandars.
PSL 10 will take place from April 11 to May 18.
Lahore Qalandars Squad for PSL 10:
- Platinum: Daryl Mitchell, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain)
- Diamond: Haris Rauf, Kusal Perera, Sikandar Raza
- Gold: Abdullah Shafique, Jahandad Khan, Zaman Khan
- Silver: Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, David Wiese, Muhammad Akhlaq, Rishad Hossain
- Emerging: Mohammad Azab, Momin Qamar
- Supplementary: Muhammad Naeem, Sam Billings, Salman Ali Mirza, Tom Curran
[TS_Poll id=”164″]