“Asked Mohammad Hafeez for more bats, but he said he did not have any” - Fakhar Zaman

Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman, in a light-hearted chat, said that he asked Mohammad Hafeez for more bats, after hitting two hundreds in South Africa with a willow gifted by the senior cricketer. According to the left-hander, Hafeez declined the request, stating he did not have any more bats to gift.

Fakhar Zaman smashed 193 and 101 in two ODIs against South Africa to help Pakistan beat the Proteas 2-1 in the one-day series. The batsman later revealed that he had used a bat gifted by Hafeez to score the two magnificent hundreds.

In a fun interaction with Cricket Pakistan, Fakhar Zaman stated that he wanted more bats from Hafeez after scoring the two hundreds. The 31-year-old quipped:

“Yes, Mohammed Hafeez gave me his bat, but when I asked him for more bats later, he said he did not have any (smiles). He is a senior cricketer and he guides youngsters a lot.”

After Fakhar Zaman’s revelation, Hafeez had played down his role in the batsman’s success. He told the media:

“It was really nice of Fakhar Zaman to have praised me and spoken about the bat I gave him. Instead of the bat, the credit should go to Fakhar Zaman because it was a very special innings from him. It’s always tough for anyone to make a comeback and the attitude, hunger and determination Fakhar has shown is something others can learn from.”

Hafeez, himself, had joked that Fakhar Zaman’s bat revelation had put him in a tight spot as he was receiving thousands of demands for bats. The senior Pakistan batsman had said in a beaming tone:

“He has caused me a lot of problems as I have been inundated with demands for thousands of bats and it seems I will have to open up a cricket bat factory.”

I am getting thousands of bats demand now after @FakharZamanLive praised my gifted bat - @MHafeez22 #SAvPAK | #Cricket | #Pakistan | #MohammadHafeez | #FakharZaman pic.twitter.com/3dIqfzR7Oz

— Khel Shel (@khelshel) April 9, 2021

We went to South Africa with the mindset to win: Fakhar Zaman

Pakistan defeated the Proteas 2-1 in the three-match ODI series in South Africa. Fakhar Zaman was the man of the series for his amazing contribution with the bat. Reflecting on the memorable performance, the southpaw emphasized on the fact that Pakistan went to South Africa with a mindset to win. He said:

“Mindset is very important, whether of a player or a team. We gelled very well as a unit. When we were leaving from Lahore, we did not feel that we were going to South Africa, just to play. I had got had that feeling on some previous tours, but when we were training in Lahore for the series, the vibe was that we are going for a win.

Zaman said that the team was ready to win irrespective of the conditions.

The players went to South Africa with the mentality that, irrespective of the conditions, we have to win. I consider myself lucky that I could contribute with good performances, which helped the team win.”

Apart from the ODIs, Pakistan also defeated a second-string South Africa side 3-1 in the T20Is to complete a successful tour.

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