Pakistan’s flamboyant opener Fakhar Zaman managed to add another accolade to his growing list of distinctions by becoming the first Pakistani to score two half centuries on test debut.
Playing his first five day game against Australia in the UAE, Fakhar scored a critical 94 batting beside Captain Sarfraz Ahmad. The two men piled on the runs and frustrated the touring Aussies who had gotten Pakistan down to 57-5 after Nathan Lyon struck gold and got four wickets in the space of less than two overs.
Normally an aggressive player, Zaman altered his natural style of batting and played a steady hand of 94 off 198 deliveries at a strike rate well bellow 50. In fact, it was Captain Sarfraz Ahmed that was taking the initiative with his quick 90-odd at a strike rate of nearly 75, while Fakhar acted as the steadying figure in the partnership.
More of Fakhar’s typical style was seen on day 2 when Australia was bowled out for 145. Looking to get quick runs and make victory virtually impossible for the Australians, Fakhar played a handy knock of 66 taking up only 83 balls to get there with the help of seven boundaries. At one point it looked as if Fakhar would get the coveted debut hundred he so thinly missed in his first innings, but was dismissed to a blinder taken by Natahn Lyon off his own bowling.
However, thanks to the two fifties, Fakhar Zaman managed to become the first Pakistani to score two half centuries on test debut. The only other person to achieve a similar feat has been Yasir Hameed, who score two test hundreds on debut back in 2003 against Bangladesh.
Other than this record, Fakhar has an impressive list of achievements in the short span of his career. He recently became the first Pakistani to score an ODI double-hundred against Zimbabawe. He is also the player to take the fewest ever innings to get to an ODI double hundred. He is also the fastest ever to have reached 1000 ODI runs. Fakhar also holds the distinction of being the only Pakistani to score a hundred in the final of an ICC tournament, and has the highest T2o score in the final of a tournament.
