Fakhar Zaman knows exactly how it feels to win major trophies. He also knows how it feels to wait years for that feeling.
The southpaw has seen it all; from hitting a century that etched itself into Pakistan cricket folklore and helped them win the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy — their last global title — as a 27-year-old, to heartbreaks in 2021 and 2022 and outright debacles at International Cricket Council events over the next four years.
He will be 37 when Pakistan take their next shot at a major international trophy, the 2027 World Cup, set to be held across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
It will almost certainly be Fakhar’s last chance to help Pakistan end their ICC title drought. And it will be that not only for the Mardan-born batter, but also for his contemporaries, the likes of Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The generation basked in stardom after the 2017 triumph and runs to the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final and final, respectively. But a dip that began after 2022 has continued since.
Success in bilateral engagements over the past year or so has pushed Pakistan up to sixth and fifth places in the Twenty20 International and ODI rankings, respectively, but the team is long overdue to show its mettle where it matters most.
And Fakhar understands that.
“We know it’s been quite a while since we’ve won a major tournament,” he told reporters on the sidelines of Pakistan’s training session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, 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 road to the 2027 spectacle starts with the ODI tri-series, in which they will face a struggling Sri Lankan side and 2019 World Cup winners England in a double round-robin format.
The first three matches of the series will be played in Rawalpindi, while Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will host the remaining league games and the final, scheduled for October 31.
Fakhar said Pakistan would go into the series with the 2027 World Cup at the back of their minds. The senior pro suggested the pitches had been prepared to provide conditions similar to those expected in South Africa, where the national side will play most of their matches.
Pakistan’s squad for the tri-series also points towards a combination of four bowlers, six batters and one all-rounder — a balance generally considered suitable for South African conditions.
“The combination for the 2027 World Cup is looking very good,” Fakhar noted. “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 believes Pakistan’s players joining the ODI camp after featuring in the ongoing President’s Trophy — the first-class domestic tournament featuring departmental teams — and the squad members’ overall international experience put them in good stead for the series.
“The best thing is that all the players are coming off a first-class season,” said the 36-year-old. “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 trophy woes over nearly a decade, Fakhar has continued to accumulate runs in the one-day format since his Champions Trophy heroics.
In 92 ODIs, he boasts an average of more than 45 and has scored 3,861 runs. He will look to cross the 4,000-run mark, with Pakistan scheduled to play at least four matches in the tri-series.
The side will also 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.
It remains to be seen whether one of the most beloved players of his generation can close his career the way he began it. He will have the opportunity to do so in, as he put it, his favourite format.