Pakistani batter Fakhar Zaman revealed that his side was under pressure to win an ICC title. The last time Men in Green won a major event was in 2017, when they beat India to clinch the Champions Trophy. Incidentally, the batter had scored a ton in the game to help his side garner a massive win.
The 36-year-old was quoted by NDTV as saying, “There is massive pressure on us to win an ICC title, and we have had discussions about ending the wait for a major title.”
Pakistan have so far won three global titles, the first of which came in 1992 under Imran Khan’s captaincy. Then they had to wait 17 years for their next big title, which was in 2009, when they won the T20 World Cup with Younis Khan as the captain. The third title was won under Sarfaraz Ahmed‘s captaincy in the form of the Champions Trophy. The side has barely managed to cross the group stages in the last few ICC events, and suffered a Super 8 stage exit in the 2026 T20 WC.
Zaman also added, “It is natural that the fans will be upset about Pakistan not winning a big title for a long time, and we also know that when the team does well, fans shower us with love. When the performance doesn’t match the fans’ expectations, they are left disappointed. Happiness experienced after winning a big title is bigger than reaching the finals or semi-finals. We are taking a serious approach and want God to help us bring the trophy back to Pakistan.”
Shaheen Afridi and his side are in the middle of a tri-series that also features England and Sri Lanka. The veteran southpaw said that Pakistan wants to use this as a build-up for the massive 2027 ODI World Cup to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
“The idea is to build a good combination for the World Cup next year, and the best part is, most of our players are going into the tournament after playing domestic cricket.” Fakhar was part of the T20I series against Sri Lanka, where he scored a total of 55 runs.
“It is easier to adapt to the fifty-over format after playing first-class cricket, but difficult to do the same after playing T20 matches. It’s good that all players have come through the domestic season with good form behind them.”
“There have been changes in our side, and we are excited and also hopeful. Our preparation is progressing well, and the World Cup is also in the back of our minds.”
Fakhar Zaman's career so far
The left-handed batter has played 92 ODI games, scoring 3861 runs at an average of 45, with 11 centuries and 19 fifties. Zaman is the only Pakistan batter to score a double ton in ODI cricket. He has also played 12 games in ODI World Cups, scoring 406 runs with two fifties and a ton.