KARACHI: In-form Fakhar Zaman has a chance to bag a remarkable feat in One-Day internationals if he scores another hundred in the third game of the PAK vs NZ ODI series on Wednesday.
Fakhar smashed his third straight ton in the second ODI of the five-game series between Pakistan and New Zealand on Saturday and became the only fourth Pakistani batter to do so.
The next match between the two sides at the National Bank Cricket Arena gives the left-hander a golden opportunity to better his own record and become only the second batter after Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara to score four consecutive ODI centuries.
However, he will be the only batter to score four centuries in a row against the same opposition if he reaches a three-digit mark yet again on Wednesday.
Sangakkara’s claim to this unique yet fabulous ODI record came at the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Since Sangakkara had made straight hundreds against four different teams – Bangladesh, England, Australia and Scotland – it gives Fakhar Zaman a chance to achieve the same feat but against the same side i.e. New Zealand.
It must be noted here that Fakhar Zaman made his claim to a host of individual records during his match-winning knock that sailed Pakistan to a seven-wicket victory against the Black Caps in the second ODI.
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.
Besides, his blitzkrieg 180* is the highest score by any Pakistan batter in a successful ODI run chase.
The 33-year-old’s sensational run in the 50-Over format began earlier this year when he smashed 101 against the Kiwis in Karachi in January.
He then picked up from where he left off in the previous series as he scored 117 and 180* in the first two ODIs, respectively, in Rawalpindi to help Pakistan take a 2-0 lead in the ongoing series.
The two sides will now take on each other in the third fixture at the National Bank Cricket Arena as the action shifts to Karachi, which will host the remaining three ODIs on May 3, 5 and 7.
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