Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman has the chance to match Kumar Sangakkara's record when the hosts take on New Zealand in the third ODI of their ongoing series on Wednesday. Having already set the record for being just the fourth Pakistani player to hit a hat-trick of ODI centuries, Fakhar is now hoping to become the second player in history to hit four consecutive ODI centuries.
Fakhar's blazing run started with a century against New Zealand in Karachi in January, and continued with scores of 117 and 180* in the ongoing series. The experienced left-hander will be aiming to continue his incredible form, and become just the second player to score four consecutive centuries in men's ODIs.
Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka legend, is the only player to have achieved this feat so far. The 2015 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup saw him hit a century against four different teams: Bangladesh, England, Australia, and Scotland.
Fakhar has the chance to match Sangakkara's record, but he will have to notch another century against New Zealand in Karachi. Fakhar's latest knock of 180* was the fourth-highest individual score by a Pakistani batter in a men's ODI, and he will be hoping to add to his tally in the next match.
Speaking after his incredible innings, Fakhar revealed that he is now a more mature player than he was four years ago, and has been using a new mindset at the crease to find his best form. "Every player works hard on his game at this level, and the same with me," he said.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam praised Fakhar's performance, calling it one of the best innings he has ever seen. Fakhar will be hoping to continue his incredible form not just in this series but also in the next edition of the 50-over showcase, where he will be keen to contribute more than he did in the last ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2019.