Fakhar Zaman Interview: I Played the Best Knock of My Life in India

Pakistan might not visit India anytime soon, but Fakhar Zaman will always cherish the knock he played here.

Exclusive conversation with Pakistan cricket team's batter Fakhar Zaman.

(Photo: The Quint)

Of the 11 centuries Pakistani batter Fakhar Zaman has scored in international cricket, eight have come in winning causes. Yet only one of them — his exhilarating 106-ball 114 against India in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final — delivered Pakistan an ICC title, their first in eight years and only the third in their history. Remarkably, that storied hundred is not even among the opener’s top three favourites.

In an exclusive conversation with The Quint, the former Pakistan Navy sailor revealed that the finest innings of his life was crafted not at home, nor in any of Pakistan’s regular touring destinations, but in India.

It came at the 2023 ODI World Cup, which happened to be Pakistan’s last visit of India, with future trips increasingly improbable amid diplomatic strain. Notably, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) signed a joint in-principle agreement, where they decided to adopt a hybrid model for global competitions. Per this agreement, Pakistan will play their matches at a neutral venue if India is hosting an ICC event, and vice versa.

‘Champions Trophy Final Knock Not Even in Top 3’

Fakhar recalls:

The Champions Trophy final knock is actually not my favourite knock. In fact, I cherish the knock in my ODI debut against South Africa more than that. I scored 31 runs in that game, but I played with great control. There is another knock that comes to mind — 193 against South Africa. It would have been my all-time favourite knock had we won that game, but unfortunately, we did not. But if you talk about my all-time favourite knock, it came in India. It has to be the 126 I scored against New Zealand, during the World Cup in Bengaluru. New Zealand scored over 400 runs in that match, but we still won the game.

Fakhar Zaman

‘Jofra Archer Is the Toughest Bowler to Face’

Batters from the subcontinent usually struggle in SENA nations, albeit Fakhar is an anomaly. In eight ODIs in South Africa, where pitches are notorious for steep bounce, the batter has scored 469 runs at an average of 58.62. He says:

My favourite country to play cricket is South Africa. It is because it suits my game. I prefer playing with a horizontal bat, and the ball bounces a lot in South Africa, so I have scored plenty of runs there.

Fakhar Zaman

As for bowlers, he does not have a favourite, but if he could, he would want to avoid Jofra Archer.

If the conditions are batting-friendly, then I am confident that I can take on any bowler in the world. If the conditions are challenging, then it gets really difficult because such is the level of talent in international teams that every team has got good new-ball bowlers. But say if you are playing in Karachi, or in Bengaluru, every bowler is easy to face. But as a left-hander, the one bowler who has caused me the most troubles is Jofra Archer.

Fakhar Zaman

‘Simplicity Is the Key to Success’

Strike rate has been a growing cause of concern for the Pakistani T20I team, who scored above 160 runs in only one of their eight matches at the 2025 Asia Cup — a tournament where they suffered three consecutive defeats,

Fakhar, though, believes that the concern is overstated, for strike rates are dictated by conditions.

Batting strike rate is mainly dictated by the conditions. If you look at the grounds where big scores are scored — those grounds have historically assisted the batters. Then we have the grounds in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where very rarely you will get to see big scores. So, the strike rate is dependent on the pitch, really. As for power-hitting, I believe it comes naturally.

Fakhar Zaman

A consistent performer himself, and Pakistan’s second-highest scorer at the Asia Cup, Fakhar credits simplicity for his sustained returns.

I keep things simple. My belief is that those who can keep things simple eventually become successful. Because the bowlers are not fools, they won’t let you do new things in every match. The best option is to stick to your natural game. We have to realise that cricket has been greatly modernised. The opposition will be doing a lot of homework about you. They have seen your video clips, they know about your strengths and weaknesses. So, I always keep it simple.

Fakhar Zaman

‘ILT20 Is Unique’

The 35-year-old is expected to feature for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup in a couple of months, but prior to that, he is honing his skills at the International League T20, representing last year’s runners-up, Desert Vipers.

On the league and the team, he said:

The unique aspect of ILT20 is that this league is played on bowling-friendly conditions. Here, you play on pitches that help the bowlers, so it is a challenge for the batters. We don’t have this in other T20 leagues. As for this team, Desert Vipers operates like an international team. The management has kept the core intact over the years, and so, you will see camaraderie in the team.

Fakhar Zaman

(Fans can exclusively watch the LIVE action on ‘Z’s linear TV channels, OTT platform Zee 5 in India, with Zee 5 Hindi offering free-to-view streaming as the exclusive digital partner. Cricket fans and sports enthusiasts across India can catch the LIVE action exclusively on &Pictures SD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Action, Zee Thirai – SD, Zee Cinemalu and OTT platform Zee 5.)