Mohsin Ali
ISLAMABAD: Fakhar Zaman has lived both sides of Pakistan cricket’s modern story: the joy of a global triumph and the frustration of repeated near-misses.
The left-handed opener was 27 when his memorable century helped Pakistan defeat India in the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, a performance that became part of national cricket folklore. That remains Pakistan’s last global title.
Since then, the national side has endured a mixed run at International Cricket Council events. There was disappointment in 2021 and 2022, despite Pakistan reaching the T20 World Cup semi-final and final in those years, followed by poor campaigns at ICC tournaments in the years that followed.
By the time Pakistan make their next major push for a world title at the 2027 World Cup, to be staged in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Fakhar will be 37. It is likely to be his final opportunity to help end Pakistan’s long wait for an ICC trophy. The same may also be true for several of his contemporaries, including Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Pakistan’s generation of stars rose to prominence after the 2017 Champions Trophy success and further enhanced its reputation with the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup campaigns. However, the decline that followed the 2022 event has not yet been fully reversed.
Although victories in bilateral assignments during the last year or so have helped Pakistan move to sixth in the Twenty20 International rankings and fifth in the ODI rankings, the team still has to prove itself again on the biggest stage.
“We know it’s been quite a while since we’ve won a major tournament,” Fakhar told reporters at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, where Pakistan were training ahead of their ODI tri-series opener against Sri Lanka.
“We’ve reached finals and played in semi-finals, too. But, obviously, the happiness you feel as a nation when you win a trophy is something you don’t get simply by reaching finals or semi-finals, no matter how many you play.
“We’ve sat down and discussed this at length, and many of the players are taking it very seriously. God willing, we’ll give it our best, and we hope for Allah’s help as well. We’ll make every effort to bring this trophy back to Pakistan.”
Pakistan’s preparations for the 2027 World Cup begin with the ODI tri-series, where they will take on Sri Lanka and 2019 World Cup winners England in a double round-robin format.
The first three matches of the tournament will be staged in Rawalpindi, while Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will host the remaining league fixtures and the final, which is scheduled for October 31.
Fakhar said Pakistan would enter the series with the 2027 World Cup already in mind. According to the senior batter, the pitches have been prepared to offer conditions similar to those expected in South Africa, where Pakistan are set to play most of their matches during the tournament.
The composition of Pakistan’s squad for the tri-series also indicates a likely balance of four bowlers, six batters and one all-rounder, a structure generally seen as suitable for South African conditions.
“The combination for the 2027 World Cup is looking very good,” Fakhar said. “You can see that in the way the wickets are being prepared as well.
“Everyone has the World Cup in mind, and the team combination is looking excellent.”
Fakhar also expressed confidence in the players’ preparation, pointing to their recent participation in the ongoing President’s Trophy, the first-class domestic competition involving departmental teams. He said the players’ first-class workload and their international experience should help Pakistan during the series.
“The best thing is that all the players are coming off a first-class season,” the 36-year-old said. “They are in rhythm and have been playing long spells of cricket.
“When you play first-class cricket, 50-over cricket doesn’t feel that long. But if you regularly play T20 cricket, the 50-over format can feel a little longer.”
Despite Pakistan’s lack of silverware at ICC level since 2017, Fakhar has remained a consistent performer in ODIs. In 92 one-day internationals, he has scored 3,861 runs at an average of over 45.
With Pakistan due to play at least four matches in the tri-series, Fakhar will have the chance to move past the 4,000-run mark in the format. The national side is also scheduled to play a five-match ODI series in England in May next year ahead of the World Cup.
“Speaking for myself, ODI cricket is my favourite format, so I’m particularly excited about it,” Fakhar said.
For one of Pakistan’s most popular players of his generation, the coming cycle may offer a final chance to finish his international journey in the same format in which he first became a national hero.
