Karachi: Fakhar Zaman was still establishing himself in the Pakistan team when Jasprit Bumrah’s no-ball in the Champions Trophy final triggered his unlikely rise from navy sailor to World Cup talisman.
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India appeared to have made the perfect start in the 2017 Champions Trophy showpiece when Zaman edged to wicketkeeper MS Dhoni off Bumrah.
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However, the Indian fast bowler had overstepped the crease and Zaman, who had scored just three at the time, was given a reprieve that he made the most of, reaching his first one-day international century.
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Fakhar changed the game with a crisp 114 to help Pakistan beat their bitter rivals by a 180-run margin at the Oval to lift the trophy.
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Since then Fakhar has been the lynchpin of Pakistan’s batting and will be expected to anchor the line-up when the World Cup gets under way in England on May 30.
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“That no-ball made me. I had a dream before the final that I will be dismissed off a no-ball and it proved to be true,” Fakhar said. “Initially I was very sad as I had promised my parents to do well in that match.”
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Fakhar’s role in that famous victory against India came in just his fourth ODI and made him a household name in Pakistan.
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But he said the recognition has not distracted him as he focuses on inspiring Pakistan’s bid for a second World Cup win and first since 1992.
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“I was very lucky and ever since that century I have become famous,” he said.
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“But with that fame comes responsibility and I have become more mature and now I realise the importance of playing my part. That will be my top priority in the World Cup.”
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World Cup anchor
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Luck has been on the unassuming left-hander’s side since he defied his father’s advice not to play cricket in his native Mardan.
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Fakhar joined the Pakistan Navy but cricket remained his dream.
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He kept his hand in by playing for the navy team and crucially benefited from a stroke of good fortune to fulfil his wish of playing for the national side.
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Pakistan opener Sharjeel Khan was banned in a spot-fixing case during the second edition of the Pakistan Super League in 2017, just three months before the Champions Trophy.
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Fakhar’s aggressive batting had impressed head coach Mickey Arthur and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq.
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They instantly selected Fakhar as an attacking option and he has paid them back by averaging a stunning 51.31 in his 36 ODIs.
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“I saw a game changer in Fakhar,” recalled Inzamam. “We had to find someone to replace Sharjeel and after watching Fakhar we thought ‘here is our man’.
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“He lived up to that promise and we see him as an anchor in the World Cup.”
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The 29-year-old, called “soldier” by his teammates for his navy connection, smashed Pakistan’s first double century in a one-day match in Zimbabwe last year and knows what is required of him in his country’s World Cup campaign.
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“My job is to score runs and I am doing that so I know that hard work will pay off,” he said.