by: Atika Mehboob TN Sport Pakistan:
On Saturday, Pakistan’s opening batsman, Fakhar Zaman, delivered a spectacular unbeaten century that led his team to an astonishing victory against New Zealand. Zaman concluded his innings at 126 not out, facing just 81 deliveries and striking 8 fours and an incredible 11 sixes.
This historic performance by the left-handed batsman has left a lasting mark in the record books. Fakhar Zaman achieved the extraordinary feat of hitting 11 sixes against New Zealand, setting a new record for the most sixes by a Pakistani batsman in a single ICC World Cup. This remarkable accomplishment surpasses the previous record of nine sixes, which was jointly held by Imran Nazir in the 2007 World Cup and Abdullah Shafique in the 2023 edition.
In addition to this, the southpaw also claimed the title of the fastest hundred by a Pakistani in the World Cup, reaching his century in just 63 balls, surpassing the previous record of 95 balls held by Imran Nazir. Fakhar Zaman has now become the first Pakistani to hit 10 or more sixes in an ODI innings on two separate occasions.
Furthermore, the left-handed opener reached a significant milestone by completing his 5000 runs in international cricket.
Turning to the game itself, it’s worth noting that Pakistan was facing a daunting target of 401 runs against New Zealand. The incredible determination and skill displayed by Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam proved instrumental in Pakistan’s victory, with a 21-run win through the DLS method, as the match was interrupted by rain.
