Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman on Sunday became the fastest batsman to complete 1000 ODI runs, reaching the landmark during the fifth One-Day match against Zimbabwe.
The 28-year-old required just 18 innings to reach the milestone, three-less than Viv Richards, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Quinton de Kock and Babar Azam, all of whom took 21 innings to complete 1000 ODI runs.
Zaman, who was 20 runs short of mark prior to the start of the match, smashed Tendai Chatara for three boundaries in the sixth over to achieve the feat. Indian captain Virat Kohli took 24 innings to reach the landmark.
He was eventually dismissed for 85 runs by Liam Roche, but not before he had amassed a record-breaking 515 runs in the five-match bilateral ODI series. In the process he overtook Zimbabwe batsman Hamilton Masakadza’s record (467 runs) of highest runs scored in a single ODI series.
The opener with five centuries and three fifties in 18 matches has been Pakistan’s most successful One-Day batsman in recent times.
Famous for scoring big in the finals, Zaman had scored a splendid 100 in the ICC Champions Trophy final against India last year and just days ago he became the first Pakistani batsman to hit a double century.
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He remained unbeaten on 210 off 156 balls in the fourth-ODI again Zimbabwe, smashing 24 boundaries and five huge sixes to help Pakistan finish on 399 for just one wicket, in 50 overs.
It was Pakistan’s higest-ever One-Day total and during the match Zaman also was involved in a record 304-run opening stand with partner Imam-ul-Haq, who too accomplished a century.
The triple-century opening partnership was the first in ODI’s and Zaman-Imam together overtook the 286-runs Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga had scored against England in 2006.