Chairman of the PCB Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf, has announced a reward of Rs1 million for the explosive batsman Fakhar Zaman, who played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s crucial World Cup match against New Zealand.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a statement recognizing Fakhar Zaman’s outstanding performance and revealed that the reward is being given in appreciation of his stellar efforts.
Fakhar Zaman delivered a remarkable innings, scoring an aggressive 126 not out from just 81 balls. His explosive performance guided Pakistan to a total of 200-1, resulting in a 21-run victory over New Zealand under the DLS method, as rain shortened the match to 25.3 overs.
In a telephone conversation with the left-handed batsman, Zaka Ashraf praised Fakhar Zaman’s performance against the Black Caps and commended his outstanding innings.
Ashraf also extended his best wishes to Fakhar Zaman and the entire Pakistan team for their upcoming fixtures. He expressed optimism about witnessing similar outstanding performances and success in the future.
Pakistan ‘could have chased 402’, says match-winner Zaman
Fakhar Zaman, reflecting on the match, suggested that Pakistan was prepared to chase down a massive target of 402 runs to defeat New Zealand before rain intervened and made the situation less complicated for them in the World Cup encounter.
Pakistan was assigned a revised target of 342 runs in 41 overs after a 90-minute rain delay, with their score at 160-1.
New Zealand had set a formidable target of 401-6, led by Rachin Ravindra’s third World Cup century and Kane Williamson’s 95, at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The victory revived Pakistan’s hopes of securing a spot in the semi-finals, but they will need to win their last match against England on November 11 in Kolkata to secure a spot.
With eight points from as many matches, Pakistan will also rely on Sri Lanka to defeat New Zealand, who have a superior run rate, in another match on November 9 in Bengaluru.
Fakhar Zaman emphasized the team’s positivity and determination, highlighting their constant belief in reaching the semi-finals. He also mentioned working on his fitness and form, giving credit to his coach Aftab Khan in Peshawar for helping him overcome his weaknesses and dedicated his remarkable innings to him.
