KARACHI: Fakhar Zaman was still establishing himself in the Pakistan team when Jasprit Bumrah’s no-ball in the Champions Trophy final triggered his unlikely rise from navy sailor to World Cup talisman.
India appeared to have made the perfect start in the 2017 Champions Trophy showpiece when Zaman edged to wicketkeeper MS Dhoni off Bumrah.
However, the Indian fast bowler had overstepped the crease and Zaman, who had scored just three at the time, was given a reprieve that he made the most of, reaching his first one-day international century.
Fakhar changed the game with a crisp 114 to help Pakistan beat their bitter rivals by a 180-run margin at the Oval to lift the trophy.
Since then Fakhar has been the lynchpin of Pakistan’s batting and will be expected to anchor the line-up when the World Cup gets under way in England on May 30.
“That no-ball made me. I had a dream before the final that I will be dismissed off a no-ball and it proved to be true,” Fakhar said. “Initially I was very sad as I had promised my parents to do well in that match.”
Fakhar’s role in that famous victory against India came in just his fourth ODI and made him a household name in Pakistan.
But he said the recognition has not distracted him as he focuses on inspiring Pakistan’s bid for a second World Cup win and first since 1992.
“I was very lucky and ever since that century I have become famous,” he said.
“But with that fame comes responsibility and I have become more mature and now I realize the importance of playing my part. That will be my top priority in the World Cup.”
Luck has been on the unassuming left-hander’s side since he defied his father’s advice not to play cricket in his native Mardan.
Fakhar joined the Pakistan Navy but cricket remained his dream.
He kept his hand in by playing for the navy team and crucially benefited from a stroke of good fortune to fulfil his wish of playing for the national side.
Pakistan opener Sharjeel Khan was banned in a spot-fixing case during the second edition of the Pakistan Super League in 2017, just three months before the Champions Trophy.
Fakhar’s aggressive batting had impressed head coach Mickey Arthur and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq.
They instantly selected Fakhar as an attacking option and he has paid them back by averaging a stunning 51.31 in his 36 ODIs.
“I saw a game changer in Fakhar,” recalled Inzamam. “We had to find someone to replace Sharjeel and after watching Fakhar we thought ‘here is our man’.
“He lived up to that promise and we see him as an anchor in the World Cup.”
The 29-year-old, called “soldier” by his teammates for his navy connection, smashed Pakistan’s first double century in a one-day match in Zimbabwe last year and knows what is required of him in his country’s World Cup campaign.
“My job is to score runs and I am doing that so I know that hard work will pay off,” he said.
Fakhar Zaman: Pakistan’s World Cup weapon
Fakhar Zaman: Pakistan’s World Cup weapon
- The 29-year-old is called "soldier" by his teammates for his navy connection
- His aggressive batting impressed head coach Mickey Arthur and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq
Arsenal host Chelsea, looking to maintain lead in EPL
- “Well, I think one thing leads to another,” explained Gunners manager Mikel Arteta
- Rosenior said: “The Premier League is so difficult every week”
LONDON: Arsenal will look to move another step closer to their first Premier League title in 22 years Sunday when they host a Chelsea side managing its own improved run of form under new manager Liam Rosenior.
The Gunners (18-3-7, 61 points) maintained their five-point lead over Manchester City with an emphatic 4-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday, though City still possess a match in hand.
Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres each had a brace as Arsenal pulled away following a first half that ended tied at 1-1.
The performance took Gyokeres to 10 league goals in his first English campaign after his move from Sporting Lisbon this summer. Five of those have come in the Sweden international’s last five league appearances.
“Well, I think one thing leads to another,” explained Gunners manager Mikel Arteta. “When you score the first one, the performance is good, you have more time with your teammates, you understand the games, the opponents, the league better, everything helps.”
The result stretched Arsenal’s winning run to five matches in the North London Derby and their unbeaten streak to eight. Against Chelsea, the Gunners have gone 10 unbeaten while winning seven in all competitions, including both legs of their EFL Cup semifinal in November and January.
But fifth-place Chelsea (12-6-9, 45 points) have looked improved under incoming manager Rosenior, even if the decision to replace Enzo Maresca caught most off guard.
The Blues have posted an 8-2-2 mark under his direction in all competitions, with those EFL Cup losses the only defeats. In the league, Chelsea have taken 14 points from six games, a pace that would see them above Arsenal if it were extended over the whole season.
Still, they begin three points behind Manchester United in the quest for the final UEFA Champions League spot next season. And it may get tougher from here, with Aston Villa, Newcastle and a round-of-16 UCL clash with Paris Saint-Germain looming.
Rosenior doesn’t see it that way.
“The Premier League is so difficult every week. Every week, the challenges that you face, the different tactical problems that you have, the physicality of the league, I don’t judge one game as harder than the other,” he said. “For me, I’m happy with this group, I’m happy with the start that we’ve made. We’ve won eight out of 12, it should be 10 out of 12. That’s not bad.”
Rosenior also confirmed captain Reece James will be available after the defensive midfielder sustained a minor injury in last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Burnley.
