EPAPER LIVE TV DAWNNEWS URDU IMAGES HERALD AURORA CITYFM89 TEELI ADVERTISE EVENTS / SUPPLEMENTS CLASSIFIEDS OBITUARIES

TODAY'S PAPER | NOVEMBER 05, 2023

Keeping hope alive

Editorial | Published November 5, 2023 | Updated about 2 hours ago

LISTEN TO ARTICLE 0:00 / 2:31 1x 1.2x 1.5x

FAKHAR Zaman’s fireworks kept Pakistan afloat before rain intervened

yesterday. Once the cricket match resumed, the left-handed opener continued
to pulverise the New Zealand bowlers in Bengaluru to keep his side ahead on
the par score, in accordance with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, until the
rain returned. It was power-hitting brilliance, something Pakistan had been
unable to demonstrate so far in this World Cup. But thankfully, it came when it
was most needed. Fakhar’s blistering century, studded with 11 sixes, secured a
21-run victory that ensured Pakistan live to fight another day. It was effectively
a must-win game for both teams, even more so for Pakistan who had no room
for error in their bid to keep semi-finals hope alive. They hadn’t helped
themselves with the ball, with New Zealand posting a mammoth 401-6, hitting
Pakistan to all parts of the ground. It seemed the writing was on the wall for
Pakistan when Fakhar’s opening partner Abdullah Shafique was dismissed
early on. Luckily for Pakistan, Fakhar was in a punishing mood, trying to make
up for lost time. Fakhar had seemed out of sorts as Pakistan won their opening
two matches of the tournament before getting injured. Abdullah replaced him
and cemented his place in the side alongside Imam-ul-Haq at the top of the
order. But Pakistan would go on to lose four matches on the trot, forcing them
to recall Fakhar in the last game against Bangladesh, the southpaw responding
with a dominant 81 that helped Pakistan canter to a seven-wicket victory. He
bettered that against New Zealand with captain Babar Azam also getting on the
act with a half-century.

The cornered tigers have roared back. The only question is whether it’s too late. Most
pre-match talk ahead of the game against New Zealand centred on the margin by
which Pakistan had to win in order to move into the top four standings. New
Zealand’s batting show meant margins became an afterthought with a win being all
that mattered. Pakistan moved into fifth place, at level in points with fourth-placed
New Zealand and Afghanistan in sixth. By the time Pakistan face England in their
 last match of the league round on Saturday, they will know exactly what is required
to reach the semi-finals. What the team already knows though is that it can’t afford
to be loose with bowling again.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2023

Read more
Ongoing threat Market spikes Climate funding

SPONSORED

United Bank Limited (UBL): Transforming

banking with innovative digital solutions
in Pakistan

On DawnNews