New Delhi, February 24 – As Pakistan prepares for its T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash against England at the Pallekele International Stadium on Tuesday, former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin suggested that the Salman-led side should bring in experienced batter Fakhar Zaman into the playing XI if they are serious about the tournament.
Fakhar has yet to play a single match in the ongoing tournament. He last played for the team in the home series against Australia, in which the 35-year-old was only able to score 20 runs in the two matches he played.
According to Ashwin, Fakhar's ability to sweep against spinners can be very useful for Pakistan against England. "If Pakistan is serious about this World Cup campaign, they need to consider giving Fakhar Zaman a chance in the middle order. He can sweep and use his feet against Rashid and Dawson to inflict serious damage during the middle overs," Ashwin wrote on X.
Ashwin also suggested that Pakistan should follow the blueprint of Nepal batters against Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson, which proved successful against the two-time champions. Nepal hammered 42 runs in just three overs against England's prime bowler Rashid in the group stage.
"This was Nepal's winning formula against Rashid, and there are some key lessons that other teams can try to adopt. Focus on the square boundaries to earn balls in the step hit zone," he explained while sharing the photo of Nepal's batting lineup against Adil Rashid.
Fakhar has played 118 T20I matches and scored 2385 runs at an average of 23.38. Fakhar has also scored 13 half-centuries in the shortest format.
Meanwhile, after their first match against New Zealand was washed out, the encounter against England is a must-win for the Pakistan team if they want to qualify for the Super 8 on their own, without relying on other teams. If Pakistan loses this match, their path to the next round will be tough, as they will need other teams' results to go their way.
