Netizens have taken to social media to commend Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan’s top-order batsman, for his helpful actions during the Super 4 match between India and Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday.
The game was interrupted by heavy rain in the 25th over, prompting the ground staff to rush and cover the pitch.
A brief video clip, which has since gone viral on social media, shows Fakhar Zaman assisting the ground staff in covering the pitch. In the video, the left-handed batsman can be seen holding the covers and running alongside the ground staff. This small but meaningful gesture has received praise from netizens on social media.
One user, Wasim Akram, posted on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account, “Fakhar Zaman helped the ground staff to cover the ground. Nice gesture from Fakhar Zaman.” The official X handle of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also acknowledged Fakhar Zaman’s assistance to the ground staff.
One Word for Fakhar Zaman #INDvPAK #AsiaCup2023 #FakharZaman #PakvsInd #PAKvIND pic.twitter.com/YDzcO3j8U3
— Haider Safdar (@BhaiiiHaider) September 10, 2023
In a somewhat sarcastic tone, another user commented on the challenging weather conditions in Sri Lanka, saying, “Pakistani players are now at par with the training of the ground staff in the last three months [due to persistent rains]… We haven’t experienced this much monsoon in Pakistan in the last ten years as compared to what we’ve seen here [Sri Lanka].”
Yet another social media user, Shaharyar, praised the humility of Pakistani players, while someone referred to Zaman as an “amazing human being.”
Praising the left-handed batsman’s courteous gesture, one user said, “Best moment” and dubbed him the “hero of the match.”
In the earlier part of the day, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl in the high-stakes Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 clash against India in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Pakistan maintained the same playing XI, while India made two changes, one of which was necessitated by Shreyas Iyer’s back spasm moments before the toss, resulting in KL Rahul replacing him. Jasprit Bumrah also replaced Mohammad Shami in India’s lineup.
This match resumed after the previous game between the arch-rivals was washed out by rain in Pallekele. In that match, India posted a score of 266 in 48.5 overs, but Pakistan couldn’t begin their chase due to the weather conditions.