Zaman admits feeling overconfident before slump in form

The year 2019 was a tough one for Fakhar Zaman. A total of 186 runs from eight games in the World Cup meant the opener struggled for form in the tournament. The eight T20Is he played last year, he failed to touch double-digits six times. With the left-hander included in the Pakistan squad for the tour of England, Zaman acknowledged the three T20Is are crucial for his career.

Zaman’s century in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against India gave him a permanent slot in the playing XI, but the opener acknowledged he took his form for granted. “To be honest, I became overconfident. Even when I played domestic cricket, I always took my time. I’ll give credit to Mickey Arthur that he gave me the freedom,” he said on Tuesday (June 16). “Because of that, I started playing aggressively. You cannot start hitting the new ball from the start. I worked on the mental aspect of the game. I can keep talking but it won’t matter till I start making runs.

“My role will remain the same – to be an aggressive player at the top. But, if you see, I tried playing a scoop in the first over against Sri Lanka. What I am saying is, I won’t make those mistakes. I’ll try that our run rate is about 8 or 9. My aim will be to ensure I bat long so that it helps the team.

“I never question myself, only people questioned me. It is up to the coach and the selectors and I have no role in this. You’ll have to include the coach, the selectors and the PCB. I am thankful to them and hopefully will deliver. You feel bad because you’ve done well for two years and then there’s a bad patch. All I can do at this point is I can work hard.”

Zaman did show glimpses of form in the Pakistan Super League earlier this year – ending with 246 runs that included two half-centuries. With the forced break in between, Zaman said he’s working on the technical flaws that had crept into his game. “I have come up with this technique only, so I don’t need to make a lot of changes. It is just some adjustments, like in the grip or a small change in the stance, I have made these small adjustments,” he revealed. “At this level, if I change my technique, I won’t have a lot of time. I am very happy with it, and you will see very soon when you see me playing how the adjustments I have made are making a huge difference.

“There is always pressure at every level. But I always ensure that at whichever level I play at, I don’t let it affect me. My goal now is to gain my permanent spot back with my performance. Irrespective of whether I score 15-20 or a fifty or a century, I hope it helps Pakistan in that match. In a T20 you don’t plan much, but I hope to show the selectors that I belong to this level and that I can play for long for Pakistan.”