Opener Fakhar Zaman said his time away from the game helped and hoped to produce a big score in the remaining games after marking his return with a commanding fifty to power Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the World Cup in Kolkata on Tuesday. (Scorecard | Points Table | As It Happened)
The 33-year-old, who missed five of their six matches due to a knee injury, smashed a 74-ball 81 as Pakistan completed the 205-run chase in 32.3 overs.
"Time off helped. I practised a lot after the Asia Cup. I felt good in the camp. I wanted to score big but, you know, it's cricket," he said after the match.
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"I was talking to Abdullah (Shafique) that I'll see off the first four overs and then hit sixes regardless of how the pitch will play because I know I can and I know my role."
The win snapped Pakistan's four-match losing streak and kept their slim semifinal hopes alive.
"NRR (net run rate) was in our mind. After 100, we were looking to finish the game before 30 overs. After too many failures, I was just looking to score the first 30 and struggling. Hopefully, I'll make it big in the coming games."
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam heaped praise on the players for their all-round show and hoped it will boost their confidence ahead of the last two games.
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"Credit to the boys, the way they played in all three departments. We know how well Fakhar plays when he's going. Good to see him do it.
"We are trying to win our remaining matches and see where we stand. This win hopefully gives confidence in the coming matches," he said.
It was Shaheen Shah Afridi's (3/23) sensational spell which helped Pakistan to bundle out Bangladesh for a lowly 204 in 45.1 overs.
"Shaheen started well with the ball. After 15-20 overs, they built a partnership. But our main bowlers struck. Main thing was our bowlers hit good lengths and took wickets," Babar said.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan had no qualms in admitting that they didn't have enough runs on the board.
"Not enough runs. Wicket was really good. We lost early wicket. We had partnerships but not big ones that would have allowed us to go big in the last 10 overs.
"We should've bowled better too. Pakistan did well in the first 10 overs, credit to them too," he said.
Shakib too hasn't fired in the tournament with just 104 runs and seven wickets to show.
"We have to think about my batting order. I was batting early, didn't score runs. My confidence was low too. In this stage, changing too many things seems difficult. We are trying to force things but it isn't working," he said.
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"At this moment, we have to perform together, which is not happening. We are looking for answers but aren't getting it."
