'Australia tough to beat despite absence of main players' Fakhar Zaman

Pakistan opening batter Fakhar Zaman is satisfied with his white-ball cricket form and looking forward to performing well against Australia in the upcoming ODI series.

"I am happy with my performance in the white-ball format. We will face a tough team like Australia and try to take advantage of the home conditions." Fakhar said during a virtual press conference.

"We are currently ranked at number nine, so our mindset is to win all three matches, get some points for the ICC Championship, and improve our rank," Fakhar added.

The visitors are missing some of their key players, including David Warner, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, and Mitchell Marsh.

"Australia is missing some big names. They are huge stars, and it will make a difference. Still, Australia is a strong team, and they fight hard under all circumstances in all conditions. We cannot take them lightly. We are looking forward to some healthy competition." Fakhar stated.

The three-match ODI series will be played from March 28 at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore. The venue has a reputation for producing batting-friendly surfaces, resulting in high-scoring games.

"Lahore matches are always high scoring. Teams batting first would be eyeing to score 300 runs, I saw the pitch, and it looks very good and seems to be friendly for batting."

"If we look at the PSL matches in Lahore, teams opted to bat first in night games, so the dew factor will not make much difference," Fakhar stated.

Pakistan lost the Test series 1-0, both teams fought well throughout the matches, and the first two Tests ended in a draw while the third Test result was decided on the last day. The captain of the Pakistan team, Babar Azam, motivated the team members ahead of the one-day series to play attacking cricket.

"Babar Azam motivated us by saying forget what happened in the Tests. Now we need to focus on the one day we have to be aggressive and go for the win from the beginning and look to win 3-0. We are playing together for a while in white-ball, and our form is good, and we have the home advantage," Fakhar added.

The left-handed batter has been one of the top performers for Pakistan. He is the only batter to score a double century for the Men in Green in ODIs.

"I am well prepared for the series, and the Australian team combination is good. Although they are missing a few players still, they are a good team, and we are hoping for a good competition. I will play according to the plan given to me by the coaches and captain. I always try to play a long inning," Fakhar further added.

The Pakistan cricket team have not played much ODI cricket in the last 12 months, as they last played an ODI match eight months ago.

"We recently played Pakistan cup where the conditions were not easy that helped us prepare well. ODI demands to play according to the situation. We recently played Tests and previously played the HBL PSL, so we are well prepared for the ODIs," Fakhar concluded.