Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman has expressed confidence in the national team’s preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in Africa, saying the upcoming ODI tri-series against England and Sri Lanka will help Pakistan develop a strong team combination.
The 50-over tri-series is scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi and Lahore from October 18 to 31.
Speaking to the media, Fakhar said the players were in good form after participating in the first-class season, which would make it easier for them to adjust to ODI cricket.
“The team combination is very good, and you can see that the pitches are also being prepared accordingly. Everyone has the World Cup in mind, and our combination is excellent,” he said.
He explained that players coming from first-class cricket were better prepared for the 50-over format compared to those regularly playing T20 cricket, as they were already accustomed to longer matches.
The 36-year-old also acknowledged the pressure on Pakistan to win a major ICC trophy, admitting that the team had held several discussions about ending the country’s long wait for an international title.
He said fans naturally expect strong performances and feel disappointed when the team fails to deliver. However, every player, whether senior or junior, tries to perform at their best, even though results do not always go as planned.
Fakhar noted that Pakistan had reached the finals of major tournaments in recent years but had been unable to win a trophy.
“Our fans are excited, but at the back of our minds, we know it has been quite some time since we won a major tournament. We have reached finals and played in them, but the happiness you experience as a nation after winning a trophy is different from reaching semi-finals or finals,” he said.
He added that the players were taking the matter seriously and were determined to bring a major trophy home.
“We have had several discussions about this, and many players are taking it very seriously. We will do our best, and we hope Allah helps us bring the World Cup trophy back to Pakistan,” he said.
Regarding the upcoming matches against England, Fakhar confirmed that the team had discussed its plans following Pakistan’s recent 3-0 defeat in the Test series.
However, he stressed that red-ball and white-ball cricket were different formats, while significant changes in the squad had also given the team confidence ahead of the series.
He said the players were excited about returning to ODI cricket after a considerable gap and hoped to use the tri-series to improve their combination ahead of the World Cup.
“We will try to perform well in the tri-series, and it will also help us build our combination. We are playing ODI cricket after quite some time, and hopefully, fans will get to see good-quality cricket,” he concluded.
The post Fakhar Zaman Confident Pakistan Can End ICC Trophy Wait at 2027 World Cup appeared first on ProPakistani.