Fakhar Zaman reveals reason behind batting slump and how he turned it around

Pakistan left-handed opener Fakhar Zaman has shed light on the reasons behind his recent batting slump in 2023 Asia Cup and the efforts he undertook to turn the tide in his favor. 

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Zaman attributed his struggles to the unfamiliar conditions of the Sri Lankan wickets.

"Look, we have a normal routine, and we follow it accordingly. But in my opinion, the Sri Lankan wickets didn't suit my batting style," Zaman said. 

Despite maintaining his usual training regimen, Zaman recognized the need to adapt and decided to extend his time at the crease during practice sessions.

"My effort was to bat for longer durations in training. Our normal process as a cricketer, which has been going on for years, was the same for me," he explained.

The 33-year old further revealed that his focus was on pushing his limits during practice.

"My focus was that if I played 200 balls in a day, I would do more than that," he further added.

Moreover, Zaman stated that there wasn't any technical flaw behind his poor batting form and emphasized the importance of mental resilience in overcoming challenging phases. 

"I am still playing the way I used to play before; there wasn't any significant technical flaw, but mentally sometimes it gets onto you. In my mind, the only thing was to do as many repetitions as possible, and that's what I tried to do," he concluded.

Towards the end of the World Cup group stages, Fakhar, having been dropped earlier, made a comeback with match-winning scores of 81 and 126* against Bangladesh and New Zealand, respectively.