Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman shared a hilarious response after he was named the ICC Player of the Month for April 2023 on Tuesday.
The left-hander won the ICC Player of the Month award for his outstanding performances in Pakistan’s recent home series against New Zealand.
Fakhar overcame the tough competition from emerging New Zealand batter Mark Chapman and Sri Lanka spin wizard Prabath Jayasuriya to clinch the award.
The 33-year-old, however, was in a state of disbelief after winning the award since it was a neck-and-neck race between him and Kiwi batter Chapman, who remained the leading run-getter in the T20I series during New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan.
“Jis tareeqay se Chapman bhai ne hame T20I me koota tha, mujhe to laga usko hi mile ga,” Fakhar wrote on Twitter
(The way Chapman thrashed us in the T20I series, I thought he would win this award)
“But grateful to all the voters and fans for rooting out for me,” he added.
Jis tareeqay se Chapman bhai ne hame T20I me koota tha, mujhe to laga usko hi mile ga. But grateful to all the voters and fans for rooting out for me. 🙌 #Honoured pic.twitter.com/CdZNg9tqnG
— Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) May 9, 2023
New Zealand’s Chapman scored 290 runs in five T20I games in Pakistan, including two fifties and a match-winning century.
He scored an unbeaten 104 off 57 deliveries, laced up with 11 boundaries and four sixes to power the Blackcaps to a series-levelling victory in the final T20I.
Fakhar Zaman, on the other hand, scored back-to-back centuries in the first two ODIs between Pakistan and New Zealand and made his claim to the Player of the Series award and a host of individual records.
He became the fastest batter not just from the country but from Asia to complete 3000 ODI runs and just the fourth Pakistan batter after Saeed Anwar, Zaheer Abbas and Babar(twice) to hit three centuries in three straight games.
Fakhar Zaman played a marathon knock of 180 not out – the highest by any Pakistan batter in a successful run chase – in the second ODI in Rawalpindi to help the Green Shirts chase down their second-highest total in ODIs.
He displayed similar exploits in the first match at the same venue where he scored 117 to lead the way for Pakistan in their 289-run chase.
Following his run-scoring spree, Fakhar also moved to the no.2 spot behind skipper Babar Azam on the ICC ODI Men’s Players’ Rankings.
The left-hander started the month with a rapid 47 in the first T20I in Lahore against New Zealand, playing a part in the home side’s thumping 88-run victory.
READ: Fakhar Zaman named ICC Player of the Month for April 2023