‘There is pressure on us’: Pakistan’s ICC trophy drought adds to players’ burden

Experienced top-order batter Fakhar Zaman believes Pakistan can end their wait for an ICC trophy at next year’s 50-overs World Cup, which will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.Speaking to the media in Rawalpindi on Saturday, Fakhar said Pakistan’s players had held detailed discussions about their failure to win an ICC title since 2017.“There is pressure on us as a team to deliver an ICC trophy, and we have had extensive discussions about ending the country’s wait for a major international trophy,” he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.Pakistan last reached the final of an ICC tournament at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where they lost to England in Melbourne.Fakhar acknowledged that the team’s failure to win an ICC title had disappointed fans, while pointing out that strong performances brought appreciation from the public.“It is natural (that) people are disappointed about Pakistan not being able to win an ICC title for long, and we also know that when we do well, we are showered with love and admiration,” Fakhar said.“When you perform well, people show you more love. When you do not perform well, naturally, they are disappointed. Whether senior or junior, every player tries to perform to the best of their ability and improve in their profession.”He added that winning a trophy brought a different kind of happiness compared to reaching the latter stages of a tournament.“The happiness you experience as a nation after winning a trophy is different from reaching semi-finals or finals,” he added.Fakhar said the players were serious about ending Pakistan’s wait for an ICC title and hoped to bring the World Cup trophy home.“We are taking it very seriously. We will do our best, and we hope Allah helps us bring the World Cup trophy back to Pakistan,” he said.The upcoming tri-series involving England and Sri Lanka will be an important part of Pakistan’s preparations, with the team looking to settle on the right combination for next year’s ODI World Cup.“The idea is to start building a perfect combination for the World Cup from now, and the good thing is most of our players are going into the tri-series having played domestic cricket,” Fakhar said.He also highlighted the value of playing domestic 50-overs cricket before taking on international opposition in the format.“When you play 50-overs cricket after First-Class, it is much easier to adapt, but going from T20 to ODIs is never easy. It is encouraging that all the players have come through the season and are in very good touch,” he added.Fakhar also played down concerns over Pakistan’s recent struggles in the Test series against England, which they lost 0-3, saying the two formats required different approaches.“We have discussed our plans extensively, although there are certain things we cannot discuss on camera. There have been plenty of discussions, but red-ball and white-ball cricket are very different,” he said.He added that changes within the team had given the players hope ahead of the World Cup, even as preparations continued.“There have also been significant changes in the team, so we are hopeful and excited. With the way our preparations are progressing, the World Cup is also in the back of our minds,” Fakhar added.