Rawalpindi: Experienced top-order batter Fakhar Zaman Saturday said Pakistan’s long wait for an ICC trophy could end next year in the 50-overs World Cup to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Fakhar told the media here that the Pakistan players have had long discussions on the fact that they had not been able to win an ICC title since 2017.
“There is pressure on us as a team to deliver an ICC trophy, and we have had extensive discussions about ending the country’s wait for a major international trophy,” he said.
Pakistan last reached the final of an ICC event in 2022 in the T20 World Cup but were beaten by England at Melbourne.
“It is natural (that) people are disappointed about Pakistan not being able to win an ICC title for long, and we also know that when we do well, we are showered with love and admiration,” Fakhar said.
“When you perform well, people show you more love. When you do not perform well, naturally, they are disappointed. Whether senior or junior, every player tries to perform to the best of their ability and improve in their profession.”
“The happiness you experience as a nation after winning a trophy is different from reaching semi-finals or finals,” he added.
The left-handed batter said Pakistan players have taken a serious approach towards winning the ICC trophy.
“We are taking it very seriously. We will do our best, and we hope Allah helps us bring the World Cup trophy back to Pakistan,” he said.
Fakhar said the upcoming tri-series involving England and Sri Lanka would be the first step in that direction, with Pakistan looking to find the right combinations.
“The idea is to start building a perfect combination for the World Cup from now, and the good thing is most of our players are going into the tri-series having played domestic cricket,” Fakhar said.
“When you play 50-overs cricket after First-Class, it is much easier to adapt, but going from T20 to ODIs is never easy. It is encouraging that all the players have come through the season and are in very good touch,” he added.
Fakhar, meanwhile, did not read much into Pakistan’s struggles against England in their Test series, which the former lost 0-3.
“We have discussed our plans extensively, although there are certain things we cannot discuss on camera. There have been plenty of discussions, but red-ball and white-ball cricket are very different,” he said.
“There have also been significant changes in the team, so we are hopeful and excited. With the way our preparations are progressing, the World Cup is also in the back of our minds,” Fakhar added.
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily
