Fakhar Zaman earns praise from England, NZ greats after ODI debut

E-Paper | April 28, 2026

Fakhar Zaman has earned the praise of former cricketing greats Stephen Fleming and Michael Vaughan after making his one-day international (ODI) debut against South Africa in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Zaman, who scored 31 off 23 balls, maintained an impressive strike rate of 134 with six boundaries, earning the praise of cricketing legends on Twitter.

"Where has Fakhar been hiding? (He) looks like a marvellous striker of a ball!" exclaimed former England captain Michael Vaughan in a tweet during the match.

Similarly, former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming expressed his surprise at the talent of the 27-year-old batsman.

"Question has to be asked ─ where has this Fakhar been hiding? Great start Pakistan!" tweeted Fleming, the Black Caps' most successful captain.

Zaman was handed his Pakistan cricket team cap by Shoaib Malik prior to the match against South Africa in Birmingham, marking his ODI debut.

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Maarif sohail

Jun 08, 2017 12:53am

Answer to the former Captains Messrs. Vaughn and Fleming. Fakhar was and chances are would become again a victim of the corrupt system that prevails at the PCB.

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PRINCE Of WHALES

Jun 08, 2017 12:55am

Ahmed Shehzad bye

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gp65

Jun 08, 2017 12:59am

Good show Fakhar Zaman. PCB did not give opportunity to Fakhar Zaman until he was 27. Never gave opportunity to Imran Tahir who is now the ace bowler for South Africa. Why is Pakistan not exploiting its talent fully?

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Mark

Jun 08, 2017 12:59am

He was hiding because Pakistan cricket has PARCHI system

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moe

Jun 08, 2017 01:07am

good job, stay focused!

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Kashif

Jun 08, 2017 01:13am

We have better players already playing for our team like M. Azhar, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar akmal and wahab riaz, why we need a striker. :(

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Rigour

Jun 08, 2017 01:17am

He has been there in plain sight, at least for the last few months..but what to do when you have this habit of trying the same failed players again and again expecting them to perform any differently from what they have been doing for years and years!

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Jun 08, 2017 01:29am

Question should be asked "Why has the officials not given him opportunity when he was 19 or 20?" May be he was not influential enough to persuade them. Now when they are desperate they let him in the circle. Good luck Boy but please stay away from bookies and do not ruin your career like others.

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N_Saq

Jun 08, 2017 01:47am

Definition of insanity as per Einstein = doing same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Now lets see this in light of Pak team. Selecting the same failed lot over and over and expecting a different result = insanity. Pak needs players like Sharjeel Khan and Mohammed Amir if they want to win. You cannot win with mediocre batsmen like Ahmed Shazad. Azhar Ali is a good test batsman not a one day cricketer. Pak need Mohammed Asif the best swing bowler in the world to bowl with Amir. You can't win with mediocre bowlers like Wahab and Hasan Ali. Lastly, Mohammed Hafeez should be the captain. He proved his mettle in the two one day games he captained in Australia. He was aggressive and thus was able to win one and lose won. He would have won the second one day too if Pak hold on to catches.

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Ilias from NL

Jun 08, 2017 01:49am

Fakhar Zaman Great addition in to the team PAKISTAN welcome

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Waseem sarwar

Jun 08, 2017 01:54am

Hopefully that's it for Shahzad's ODI career. If you go down, go down fighting and Fakhar provided that spirit. Defeat Sri Lanka and hopefully India will beat South Africa.

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KHURRAM MALIK

Jun 08, 2017 01:59am

Where is Faheem Ashraf? Replace the old lot with these youngsters to turn the team's fortunes around. #PakYoungTalent

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REHAN

Jun 08, 2017 02:03am

hopefully its bye bye ahmed shazad

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Sana

Jun 08, 2017 02:07am

Yeah Pakistan is full of talented player..they just need appropriate place and time..well played Green team

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Khan USA

Jun 08, 2017 02:08am

Finally, thanks God !

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m.sattar.

Jun 08, 2017 02:11am

There is no shortage of talent in Pakistan but unless you know the right people you have no chance of playing for the greenshirts.

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ThOught

Jun 08, 2017 02:13am

50% of the team is on perchi and personal liking

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Khanzada

Jun 08, 2017 02:16am

He and many others are forced to hide behind the akmals, shahzad and hafeez who dont let them get infront.

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The_Truth

Jun 08, 2017 02:32am

Really nice batting in short time. He should be given chances. Pakistan needs to bring more batsmen like sharjeel and Babar. I think Azhar and Hafeez should retire from ODI and give chances to Youngsters. Sami Aslam could be a good replacement of Azhar Ali in ODI opening as he recently scored 2 centuries with 100+ strike rate and his average is almost 50 in List A similar to Fakhar Zaman. Harris sohail should replace Hafeez in next match. And give this team some time eg 1-2 years, they will become world beaters. We currently have good ODI and t20 line up eg Babar, Hassan, Fakhar, Shadab. They all are talented and could be match winners for Pakistan. Just need to polish their techniques and give them more chances.

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Shahid

Jun 08, 2017 02:52am

The fact is if it was not for Fakhar Zaman's aggressive and quick scoring at the first place and then Shoaib Malik, Pakistan would NOT have had that crucial 19 runs edge simply b/c the other three had so many dot balls and poor rotation. Powers to be must take a serious note about their place in ODIs.

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ample reverence 4 KSA & Pak Army

Jun 08, 2017 02:55am

We have more crop oof such talented legs but who will get rid of this PCB management first and useless players like Hafeez, Azhar, etc???????? They ruined our only sport already like Hockey and Squash

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AkashChittagong

Jun 08, 2017 03:03am

Best of Luck Youngman

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marcus

Jun 08, 2017 03:12am

There is Turmoil in the SA dressing room over the selection criteria hence why SA are not performing.

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Dr. Kent B Huzen

Jun 08, 2017 03:21am

Well done Fakher

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baig

Jun 08, 2017 03:25am

He has been hiding behind the incompetency of selectors and dirty politics of old players.

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Nadir Aziz

Jun 08, 2017 03:37am

Inzi and his committee prefer their favorites, i.e. the Akmal Brothers, Shezad, Wahab, etc. They are the ones who must answer the question put forth by the above two greats.

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Peace

Jun 08, 2017 03:40am

We should call him Saeed Anwer Junior. A natural talent !

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Desi

Jun 08, 2017 04:15am

There are plenty of players like Fakhar Zaman in Pakistan who just play domestic and nobody ever learns about them. As long as we continue to play Hafeez, Shahzad, Akmal brothers despite their failures, we will continue to destroy good talent. Selection committee should learn that players need to get dropped when they don't perform and past performances does not mean you are permanent member of the team. After this tournament, team needs to be completely changed and new players should be included. And please make Hafeez retire already. He is not deserving his position in the team. Selecting him is doing injustice to young players

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Skkk

Jun 08, 2017 04:16am

Great to hear that we have new talent to follow Younis Khan's footsteps and assume his place. If Fleming and Vaughn has praised him, he must have something.

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Desi

Jun 08, 2017 04:23am

He played without fear. This is what is missing in all the batsmen. Our batsmen are fearful while batting. Fakhar has a good career ahead of him. Good he us starting after Misbah retired. Let's hope he is not asked to change his game to defensive batting

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Qasim

Jun 08, 2017 04:39am

He was hiding because of all parchi players. Once Pakistan taking people on merit only than cricket will be revived.

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Sherry

Jun 08, 2017 04:42am

Only PCB knows. We all had seen him before and aware of what he can do but not PCB. Maybe they are too busy almost to the point of being stuck at Shehzad, Azhar and Hafeez. The damage that Misbah thinking has done to Pak ODI and T20 had only one taker the PCB and unfortunately that's the one which mattered in selection and implementation thing. PCB has killed Pak cricket big time.

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Azmeen

Jun 08, 2017 05:13am

Flemming, OCB was hiding him so that he could get old enough (27) before launching in the international stage. What a pit?

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Azmeen

Jun 08, 2017 05:21am

Congrats Fakhar! Steven Flemming Surprise regarding your late launching is quite genuine.

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Sab se pehle pakistan

Jun 08, 2017 05:58am

Great to see new talent. All the best Fakhar.

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Rafe

Jun 08, 2017 06:02am

He wasn't hiding, he didn't have parchi to be played.

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Abdulla Hussain

Jun 08, 2017 06:14am

A new Zaheer Abbas in action. This player will replace Shahid Afridi as well. Good Luck

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Punter

Jun 08, 2017 06:17am

Ahmad Shahzad should never have been selected.

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Syed

Jun 08, 2017 06:46am

Career fixed for next 100 matches with or without performance

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khan

Jun 08, 2017 07:10am

PCB will loss him, PCB doesn't need Super heroes

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Visitor

Jun 08, 2017 07:10am

Well, of the eleven, one played for 30 plus runs and these chaps are praising him. Of his scoring shots, tnree are identical and other one was different. This is where problem with pakistan is. They make heroes of nothing and their crowd set high expectations and as usual when they fail, crowd goes bersek and breaks tv sets.

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prof@uk

Jun 08, 2017 07:58am

Mr. Sheharyar, could you answer Fleming's question? There are another few hundred million people with the same question. How about Fawad Alam too?

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Md SHAHBAN HUSAIN

Jun 08, 2017 07:58am

Ahmad shahzad byyyyyyeeeee. When sharjeel khan is come back then Azhar Ali bye in shortest formet

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James

Jun 08, 2017 08:03am

Replace Azhar with Ahmad Shehzad. Good luck!

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anees zed

Jun 08, 2017 08:09am

Re. Vaughn and Flemming - He was hiding under the piles of corruption, nepotism and Parchi. I wish we could get rid of Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Ahmad Shehzad and Wahab Riaz.

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zafar ahmed

Jun 08, 2017 08:10am

Hope our senior cricketers will polish his potential & talent in this guy as the nation don't expect any thing good for groom the young cricketers from PCB.

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Malik

Jun 08, 2017 08:13am

Play long innings consistently.

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Aussie

Jun 08, 2017 08:25am

Domestic ODI average of Fakhar is 50+, strick rate is 90+ and still this guy was struggling to find a place in the team. And arrogant guys like Shazad gets multiple chances without any reason. It's SAD.

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Farrukh

Jun 08, 2017 08:50am

Best of Luck to the new comer! But be cautious not to alter your styles (any sort of) like others did, who impressed initially but a total failure lately.

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Jun 08, 2017 09:24am

He just made 31, lets not get too frenzy with this. Why do we have this habit of making legends out of individuals. Look what happened with Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah and Sharjeel Khan.

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roshan

Jun 08, 2017 09:32am

They all perform in their debut matches , Remember sharjeel and Shahzad .

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Dove

Jun 08, 2017 09:38am

From my village, proud of you!

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Sarah

Jun 08, 2017 09:39am

Fakhar Zaman and Ashraf should be playing in first XI in ODI.

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concerned citizen

Jun 08, 2017 10:04am

Only one word it is Corruption, Corruption and Corruption

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SAAF GO

Jun 08, 2017 10:33am

Good but one time performance does not mean much. It is the consistency of performance that really matters.

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Rajendran Seethapathy Cauvathur

Jun 08, 2017 10:47am

he plays like Sewhag - without any fear

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ali

Jun 08, 2017 10:52am

PCB is a politically and financially corrupt institution. Thanks to PPP and most importantly, PMLN.

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PAMNANI-INDIA

Jun 08, 2017 11:27am

Just One game Sir. Let him play few game more and than judge him.

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Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Jun 08, 2017 11:33am

Well played Fakhar Zaman.

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JAAHIL INSAAN

Jun 08, 2017 11:49am

@PAMNANI-INDIA : I fully agree.

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Ajit

Jun 08, 2017 03:29pm

I watched the whole match yesterday and i have one question to the Pakistani Cricket Administrators...why, oh why did you keep this brilliant gem of a batsman called Fakhar Zaman hidden so llong? The boy is an absolute treat to watch and has 2 qualities sadly lacking in the Pakistani team right now...self belief and an absolute fearless approach to his game...regardless of the bowlers reputation. My dear Pakistani friends, i am sure there is talent like this and even better in every galli of your country. Bring them out and save Pakistan cricket!!!

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Jun 08, 2017 07:00pm

Well done Fakhar Zaman. Keep it up and hang on tough. May God Almighty bless you and your loved ones. Aameen, Tsum Aameen.

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Readon_VA

Jun 08, 2017 07:44pm

Will be good to have both Fakhar and Sharjeel in the squad. They can provide the aggression but need to be trained well and groomed. A good technical batsman like Mohd Yousuf or a gritty one like Younis Khan can do wonders to both these batsmen.

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Junaid

Jun 08, 2017 07:54pm

PCB should not only focous on punjab and sindh they should set up selection camps in rural KPK and especially rural balochistan fakhar is from mardan the city where legendary younis khan also belong to so there's alot of talent in such area of Pakistan

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salman

Jun 08, 2017 08:05pm

Finally we can say a permanent goodbye to Ahmad Shehzad

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ENGR OSMAN

Jun 08, 2017 08:40pm

Simple answer: Misbah never execrised his authority nor built a team... Misbah is to blame why we are still stuck with Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad. Fakhar Zaman along with Hammad Azam were the best hitters of the ball and PCB mafia kept them away. Hence why world wonders why we are No. 8 when we should be a Top-2 team . Haris Sohail must play next match - he has the most complete range of strokes over any other batsman in the team.

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PErvez

Jun 08, 2017 11:41pm

He should have grown a beard to impress the Chief selector. His bat speed is extremely impressive.

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J. Gamble

Jun 10, 2017 09:11pm

@PAMNANI-INDIA -you are a good person.

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Jay

Jun 11, 2017 04:51am

" Go out and play your natural game" is the command from the head coach. Fakhar was doing exactly that. But looks like he heeds to learn a lot, yet. Best lesson for him would be to watch Shakib & Mohaammadullah's batting. In other words he needs to develop a fine balance between hitting and patience. Cricket is the game of patience, if you don't have that you can't be good cricketer.

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