‘I thought maybe it’s my day’: 2017 CT hero Fakhar Zaman recalls Pakistan’s triumph

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Fakhar Zaman travelled to the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 without a single ODI appearance to his name. By the time he returned to Pakistan as a match-winner in the final, people were travelling hundreds of kilometres just to take a picture with him.

The left-handed opening batter will make his return to the Pakistan team on home soil when the competition returns later this month, looking to recreate the heroics of eight years ago. In that tournament, he started out of the team, earned a one-day debut and went onto form the foundation of a final victory over India in one of the greatest days in Pakistani cricketing history.

In the final against India, Pakistan batted first at The Oval, and even though Fakhar did not feel like he was at his most fluent, he smashed a brilliant century, making 114 off 106 balls to set Pakistan on their way to 338 for four in 50 overs.

That came after he had been given a reprieve when he was on three, caught off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah, with a no-ball saving him.

“I had been talking to Shadab (Khan) and somebody got out on a no-ball when we were watching a game. I said ‘I’d love to get out to a no-ball’. I just said it randomly because whenever you get out, I always look to the umpire hoping they will say ‘wait while we check the no-ball’ and nothing happens and I end up back in the dressing room.

“The same thing happened in that game, I got out to a no-ball. Kumar Dharmasena was the third umpire and I was going out. From the boundary, he said ‘wait there’. I was halfway back and when I saw that, I was 100% sure it was a no-ball. After that, I thought maybe it’s my day,” said Fakhar to ICC.

It certainly turned out that way, with Fakhar earning Player of the Match honours as Pakistan ended up winning by 180 runs, Mohammad Amir doing the damage with the ball as he tore through the dangerous Indian top order.

While Fakhar went into the tournament with limited expectations, the Pakistan management and senior players never lacked confidence. And after they beat Sri Lanka by three wickets to reach the semi-finals, that belief started to filter through to the rest of the team that they were capable of going all the way.

“Myself and Sarfaraz (Ahmed, the captain) played club cricket together in Karachi. We had a big tournament happening in Karachi just after the group stages. After the first game against India, I went to Sarfaraz and said ‘we will be playing in Pakistan’ and he said ‘what are you saying?’. He said ‘bro, we will go to Pakistan, but with the Champions Trophy’.

“I was thinking looking at this man, he’s lost his senses, what is he saying? But the confidence of our leadership, Sarfaraz and Mickey Arthur, I didn’t think we would win but they would tell us every time that we would win, that we had to win.

“The confidence in the leadership group, even after losing the first game, they were 100% confident that we would bring home the trophy. When we played Sri Lanka, the way luck was with us that day, Sri Lankan players dropped catches, and the way Sarfaraz played in that game, we knew that something great was coming,” he added.

Up against hosts England in the semi-finals, Pakistan’s bowlers were outstanding in Cardiff, shutting down the previously unstoppable English batters to set up an eight-wicket victory.

That set up a final clash with India, the dream match-up for fans, but a meeting that Fakhar almost missed.

“I was not well the day before the game. I even talked to Mickey and said I won’t be able to play the game. He said you go out there and get a duck first ball, it doesn’t matter, you have to play that game. I managed to play but I remember that I didn’t sleep well that night and he forced me to play. I’m pleased he did!”

–IANS

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