Fakhar keeps on breaking records

Fakhar Zaman's rise in international cricket is no less than a fairy tale. A man from Mardan (Khyber Pakhtookhwa) joined Pakistan Navy as sailor but was crazy about cricket since his childhood. He became part of the departmental team where his coach found that he has got the talent to represent national team. The coach advised him to quit Navy and pursue cricket as a profession.
It was a catch-22 situation for Fakhar, as he was torn between a job and cricket in this age of competition. He was unable to take this difficult decision and one fine morning on vacation while in his village, he discussed the issue with his elder brother. He told him to burn the boats and, if there is any problem, he will look after the family. It gave him strength, and the future star of Pakistan started playing cricket with different clubs in Karachi.
According to Fakhar, it was the toughest period of his life because he became jobless and it wasn't easy to make both ends meet. He used to travel by buses with the heavy kitbag and often was refused ride because the bag used to take too much space in the bus. He kept on playing and after sometime clubs used to take him whenever they reached a final of a tournament because of his batting exploits. He earned some money and bought a motorcycle which helped him to move easily in one of the most congested cities of the world. He performed well in domestic cricket, which helped him to hone his skills.
Pakistan Super League emerged and the left-hander was picked which proved a turning point in his life. He played some scintillating knocks while representing Lahore Qalandars in the first edition, which caught the eye of the selectors.
Sharjeel Khan, a swashbuckling opener, was sacked because of match-fixing which paved way for the lanky opener, and he made debut against South Africa in the Champions Trophy on June 7, 2017, and scored entertaining 31 runs.
He emerged hero by scoring 139 against India in the final of Champions Trophy to help Pakistan put up a huge total of 339. India, in reply, crumbled and Pakistan won the final by 180 runs. In the match Fakhar was caught behind off the first ball from Jasprit Bumrah but it turned out a no ball. The left-hander told during a TV interview that he had dream prior to the match that he got out on the first ball and it was no ball.
Fakhar failed to repeat this performance in later matches and people stated to doubt his ability. Many thought the century against India was a fluke and pressure started to mount on Fakhar to justify his place in the Pakistan XI.
Then came Zimbabwe tour where Fakhar broke record after record and emerged as shining star on the horizon of cricket. The left-hander became the first batsman from Pakistan to score a double century in One-Day Internationals. He became the fastest batsman to reach 1,000 runs in the ODIs. He reached the milestone in 18 innings, beating the previous record of 21 innings, held by five other batsmen, including West Indies great Viv Richards. The opener was also part of the record with Imamul Haq as they made the highest opening partnership of 304 runs. The Pakistan opener also recorded the most runs scored by a batsman between two dismissals in ODIs, with 455.
Fakhar has given Pakistani cricket fans many happy moments in his early career and cricket enthusiasts hope he stays grounded and wins more laurels for the country in future.
- liaqat@khaleejtimes.com

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