"Protein ki bhi kami nahin, jajbe ki bhi" - Virender Sehwag trolls Imam-ul-Haq as Fakhar Zaman slams Pakistan's fastest World Cup ton 

Pakistan's opening batter, Fakhar Zaman, starred with the bat in the team's must-win encounter of the 2023 World Cup against New Zealand in Bengaluru on Saturday.

It was imperative for the Men in Green to get off to a flying start, given that they needed to chase down an imposing 402-run target to stay afloat in the tournament. While Abdullah Shafique departed early, Fakhar countered the bowlers with great aplomb to give his side a glimmer of hope.

The southpaw notched up his century in just 63 balls, which is also the fastest-ever hundred by a Pakistani batter in World Cups. Former India opener Virender Sehwag lauded the batter for his stellar knock.

Sehwag took to social media, questioning Pakistan's decision to bench Fakhar for several matches of the showpiece event. He also took a dig at Imam-ul-Haq, who, during a press conference, stated that the team hasn't hit a lot of sixes because of a carb-heavy diet.

Reacting to Fakhar's batting exploits, Sehwag wrote on X:

"What an innings by Fakhar Zaman, by far Pakistan’s best batter. Which brains kept him on the bench for the best part of the tournament, God knows. Protein ki bhi kami nahin, jajbe ki bhi (no lack of protein and intent)."

Notably, Fakhar was under the scanner for his poor ODI form at the start of the 2023 World Cup. He lost his place in the playing XI after getting out for 15 runs in the opening encounter against the Netherlands.

He was also unavailable for selection due to a knee injury. The swashbuckling batter scored 81 runs against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on his return.

---

Pakistan bowlers let them down in 2023 World Cup against New Zealand

Babar Azam won the toss for Pakistan and elected to field first. However, the tactic backfired as the New Zealand batters made merry on the batting-friendly surface at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The Blackcaps finished at 401/6 in 50 overs, their highest-ever total World Cup history. Rachin Ravindra continued his impressive run, scoring his third century of the ongoing ICC event.

Apart from the talented youngster's 108-run knock, skipper Kane Williamson also chipped in with a valuable contribution of 95 runs. Mohammad Wasim Jr, with his three-wicket haul, was the only saving grace for Pakistan.

Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi finished wicketless and conceded 90 runs from his 10 overs, bowling the most expensive World Cup spell by a Pakistani bowler.