Fakhar talks World Cup preparations, team changes, batting spot adjustments

In a closely contested fourth T20I match against New Zealand, Pakistan suffered a narrow four-run defeat as they tried to chase down a target of 178 on Friday.

Pakistan finished on 174/8 in their pursuit, falling short in the last over despite all-rounder Imad Wasim's efforts.

In the post-match presser, Fakhar Zaman spoke about the team's performance and acknowledged the team's mistakes during the match.

"We made a lot of mistakes today; we didn't get a good start either. Then I and Iftikhar almost made the match," Fakhar said.

Fakhar emphasized the importance of building a strong team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, noting that the team made several changes in preparation for the tournament. 

"When your main players don't play, it does make a difference. But our main aim is the World Cup, so we are making a lot of changes for that. We made many changes even after winning the first match. In this match, we made five changes because our main goal is the World Cup," Fakhar said.

"Losing at the international level is not something anyone likes, but our main goal is the World Cup, so our combination must be strong for that. We will try to win the next match," he further added.

Fakhar also mentioned that his set position is at number 4 in the batting order and expressed readiness to adapt to different situations as needed.

"This is my set position [number 4] in T20. Management only told me that I would not play the first three matches, and my position could change depending on the situation, but my set position is at number 4," he concluded.

It is worth noting that Fakhar scored an impressive 61 runs off 45 balls, anchoring the team's innings and keeping them within striking distance of the target. Moreover, Iftikhar Ahmed contributed 23 runs off 20 balls, supporting Fakhar's innings as the team fought to stay in the game.