Pakistan’s star opening batsman Fakhar Zaman on Tuesday (June 16) said that he is aiming for a strong comeback on the England tour and wants to cement his place back in the national team after being named in the Pakistan squad for the next month’s UK tour.
The 30-year-old, who has represented Pakistan in 46 ODIs and 34 T20Is so far, also wants to prove the national selectors that he is worthy of his position in the national squad.
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The left-hander further said “there is always pressure at every level. But I always ensure that at whichever level I play at, I don't let it affect me” as the opener admitted that his overconfidence led to his sudden struggle in international cricket last year, saying, “to be honest, I became overconfident.”
Zaman told reporters in a virtual press conference, “My goal now is to gain my permanent spot back with my performance. This is a very important series for me. The three T20Is will be crucial for my career and will decide my future with the team.”
He added, “Irrespective of whether I score 15-20 or a fifty or a century, I hope it helps Pakistan in that match. In a T20 you don't plan much, but I hope to show the selectors that I belong to this level and that I can play for long for Pakistan. I did well at the start of my career in 2017 and 2018 but couldn’t do much in 2019. But I have worked hard recently and I am confident that I will be better than what I was before. I will try to give my best and regain my permanent place in the squad.”
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The opener is also looking forward to the England tour to play three Tests and as many as T20Is in August-September while Pakistan squad will fly at the end of this month for the UK.
He added, “I am looking forward to the tour. Pakistan has a good track record in England and I am confident that the team will do well this time too. My role will remain the same - to be an aggressive player at the top. What I am saying is, I won't make those mistakes. I'll try that our run rate is about 8 or 9.”
Zaman signed off by saying, “My aim will be to ensure I bat long so that it helps the team. I never question myself, only people question me. It is up to the coach and the selectors and I have no role in this. You'll have to include the coach, the selectors, and the PCB. I am thankful to them and hopefully will deliver.”
Here’s Pakistan squad for England tour:
Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan, and Yasir Shah
(With ANI Inputs)
