New Zealand captain Kane Williamson hailed Pakistan and their explosive opener Fakhar Zaman's stunning 21-run victory in a rain-hit ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match on Saturday.
New Zealand posted a mammoth total of 401-6 thanks to young talent Rachin Ravindra's third World Cup century and a solid 95 from the returning Williamson.
However, Pakistan, needing a win to avoid elimination from the World Cup, produced a brilliant display of power hitting. Fakhar Zaman scored an unbeaten 126 off 81 balls, which included 11 sixes and eight fours, to complete his 11th ODI century. Captain Babar Azam also played an important role by scoring an unbeaten 66 off 63 balls.
By the time the match ended, Pakistan had reached 200-1 in 25.3 overs, with a revised target of 342 in 41 overs due to rain. They were 21 runs ahead of the DLS method.
Ken Williamson acknowledged Pakistan's extraordinary performance and said, "We saw something extraordinary from Pakistan today, when Fakhar Zaman is in such form, few foundations can control him, he is extraordinary. And Today the credit of their great success goes to Pakistan.
Before this match, only two teams had managed to score 400 runs in an ODI and lost. Australia's 434-4 against South Africa in 2006 and Sri Lanka's 411-8 against India in 2009 are notable examples.
Williamson was pleased to return from a thumb injury in the game against Bangladesh and recover from a knee injury ahead of the World Cup. He emphasized that his focus is on getting back on the field and playing cricket with the team.
New Zealand, level with Pakistan on eight points from as many games, are still in a favorable position to qualify for the semi-finals thanks to their superior net run rate. Their next match is against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on November 9, while Pakistan conclude their group stage campaign against England in Kolkata next Saturday.
And We cannot rely on other teams because of this you get to some small margin, whether it's the run-rate or your last match. Anything can happen really, but our focus is on the cricket we want to keep playing. . And we want to be compatible. Accordingly, there are challenges ahead, said the New Zealand captain.
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