BENGALURU: Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman admitted he is thriving in the “do-or-die” battle of World Cup survival.
Zaman on Saturday clubbed 11 sixes and eight fours in an undefeated 126 as Pakistan beat New Zealand by 21 runs in a rain-hit match where initially they had been set 402 to win.
As it was, set a revised target of 342 in 41 overs, Pakistan reached 200-1 after 25.3 overs when rain forced an early end and claimed victory on the DLS method.
“We know that every game is do-or-die for us,” said the 33-year-old Zaman after hitting an 11th career one-day international century.
“In our team meeting, our management decided that we will play aggressively, everybody was trying to score more runs.”
He added: “This is one of my best centuries, I will always remember my 193 against South Africa (Johannesburg, 2021) but this is one of my best.”
Despite the win, Pakistan still need to defeat England in their last group game next Saturday while hoping New Zealand, with a better run-rate, slip up against Sri Lanka two days earlier.
Hosts India and South Africa are already assured of places in the semi-finals leaving Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia and Afghanistan to scrap over the last two places.
“We want to continue playing aggressively in our next game,” added Zaman.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, who was undefeated on 66 off 63 balls on Saturday, said that he was confident a decent partnership would see them home despite New Zealand’s huge score, the sixth highest total in World Cup history.
“When we started batting, we believed in ourselves,” said Zaman.
“Inside the dressing room, we passed the message that we need one good partnership. In the back of the mind we knew rain was coming, but didn’t expect it to be too much.
“I wanted to give the strike to Fakhar. We knew we had short boundaries and we tried to utilize them.”
For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra made 108, his third century of the tournament, while skipper Kane Williamson hit 95.
It is the second-highest losing total by a team batting first in an ODI behind Australia’s 434-4 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2006. South Africa made 438-9 to win by one wicket.
“It’s quite hard to get our heads around after getting that total, but for us we will take the positives before the next game,” said Williamson whose side have lost four in a row after winning their first four games.
“They played exceptionally well, gave themselves every chance and got over the line, they were certainly on target with their chase.
“Zaman played beautifully, they deserved that result today and for us it’s about moving on to our next challenge.”
Fakhar Zaman happy it’s ‘do-or-die’ for Pakistan at World Cup
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Fakhar Zaman happy it’s ‘do-or-die’ for Pakistan at World Cup
- The Pakistani batter who scored undefeated 126 against New Zealand called it his best century
- Kane Williamson praises Pakistan’s innings, says ‘they were certainly on target with their chase’
Karachi plaza fire death toll reaches 28 as search continues for missing
- Demolition of burned building on hold until all victims accounted for, official says
- Authorities shut adjacent mall, order fire safety compliance across Karachi city
KARACHI: Pakistani authorities on Wednesday said 28 bodies had been recovered from a shopping plaza devastated by a massive fire in Karachi last weekend, with dozens of people still unaccounted for, as officials warned the structure could not be demolished until search operations were completed.
The blaze broke out late Saturday at Gul Plaza, a multi-story commercial building in Karachi’s congested Saddar district, and burned for more than 24 hours before being brought under control. The fire gutted over 1,200 shops, triggered partial structural collapse and forced rescuers to navigate extreme heat, debris and instability inside the building.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Karachi South Javed Nabi Khoso said rescue teams were continuing phased search and debris-removal operations under strict safety protocols, adding that demolition would only be permitted once all missing persons were traced.
“Until even one missing person is accounted for, the building cannot be demolished,” Khoso said “So far, 28 bodies have been recovered, of which 11 have been identified, while 17 remain unidentified. DNA samples have been taken from families and the bodies, and the identification process is ongoing.”
Khoso said authorities had initially received reports of 85 missing persons, of whom 39 had since been located, leaving 28 people still unaccounted for as search operations continued. He said heavy machinery had been deployed to remove large installations such as chillers to reduce load on the structure and allow safer access to critical areas.
“We are focusing on the floors where bodies were found, and then moving toward controlled debris removal,” he said, adding that extreme internal temperatures and structural damage were limiting how long rescue teams could remain inside the building.
Medical officials said the condition of many victims’ remains had made immediate identification impossible.
Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said forensic teams were working to confirm identities through DNA analysis.
“As of now, we can confirm 20 deaths, including six identified and 14 unidentified,” she said earlier, noting that samples from 48 families had been collected to assist with identification, while processing of additional remains was continuing.
Officials have cautioned that figures could change as recovery operations progress.
SAFETY RISKS SPREAD TO ADJACENT BUILDINGS
The scale of the fire has raised broader safety concerns across Karachi’s commercial districts. Authorities said Rimpa Plaza, an adjacent shopping complex, had been declared unsafe after being damaged by falling debris during the blaze and was partially closed pending structural assessments.
Separately, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has issued notices to building owners and developers across the city, giving them three days to address fire safety deficiencies highlighted in recent audit reports or face legal action under provincial laws.
In a letter to the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), the SBCA said enforcement would be stepped up following the Gul Plaza disaster, citing long-standing failures in fire exits, alarms, wiring and emergency access in commercial buildings.
Deadly fires are a recurring problem in Karachi, a city of more than 20 million people, where overcrowding, illegal construction, narrow access points and weak enforcement of safety regulations have repeatedly resulted in mass casualties and economic losses.
In November 2023, a shopping mall fire killed 10 people, while one of Pakistan’s deadliest industrial disasters occurred in 2012, when a blaze at a garment factory claimed at least 260 lives.
Provincial officials say inspections and enforcement will be intensified in the coming days, but safety advocates warn that lasting change will depend on sustained oversight beyond emergency directives.
