Pakistan captain defends Zaman despite World Cup poor show

Pakistan cricket captain Sarfaraz Ahmed come out in defence of opening batsman Fakhar Zaman, who didn’t enjoy a very productive outing at the ICC World Cup and was one of the major disappointments at the tournament for his side.

Sarfaraz however, believes that the opening batsman remains one of the ‘best players’ in his side and was optimistic that Zaman would emerge from his slump form.

“We tried to not make too many changes in the team. Fakhar in some matches started well, sometimes he didn't. Fakhar is one of our best players, good and bad times come for everyone. He was in form in the England series and he tried his best and he's still one of our best players,” said Sarfaraz.

Zaman only managed to score 186 runs in the eight matches of the tournament at an average of 23.25, with the best of 62 coming against India, which too came in a losing cause.

“As a team, we performed well. All the players, seniors and juniors all played their roles and I am happy with everyone. I would like to thank the coaching staff for all their hard work,” added the captain.