Another ICC tournament is approaching, and the Pakistan National Cricket Team is not in a position to be called a strong contender to qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup final. Ahead of the opener of the tri-nation ODI series between Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England, Fakhar Zaman interacted with the media to discuss their preparations for the upcoming World Cup.

Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in the tri-nation series opener today in Rawalpindi. The series will be crucial for all three teams, as it will provide opportunities to test their talents before the flagship event. In the recent time, Pakistan faced multiple setbacks in international cricket, including a Test series whitewash in England. Fakhar Zaman believed there is still plenty of room to bounce back and position Pakistan as a well-decorated side.

There is pressure on us: Fakhar Zaman

While speaking to the media, Fakhar Zaman acknowledged that there is pressure on the players as the team failed to win any ICC tournaments since 2017. The Pakistan batter claimed that they have had extensive discussions among themselves so that they can end the trophy drought.

“There is pressure on us as a team to deliver an ICC trophy, and we have had extensive discussions about ending the country's wait for a major international trophy,” Zaman said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Zaman was well aware of the fact that the cricket fans are disappointed with the team's recent outings. He also felt that the fans will again start to chant to support them if the team begins to perform according to expectations.

"It is natural (that) people are disappointed about Pakistan not being able to win an ICC title for long, and we also know that when we do well, we are showered with love and admiration. When you perform well, people show you more love. When you do not perform well, naturally, they are disappointed," Fakhar said.

Fakhar Zaman explains how Pakistan can win the World Cup in 2027

He further mentioned that they are working seriously to do well in the 2027 World Cup. For him, the team can claim the trophy if they can find a perfect combination ahead of the tournament.

"We are taking it very seriously. We will do our best to bring the World Cup trophy back to Pakistan... The idea is to start building a perfect combination for the World Cup from now, and the good thing is most of our players are going into the tri-series having played domestic cricket,” Fakhar Zaman stated.

Fakhar Zaman points out the importance of First-Class matches

The batter highlighted the importance of domestic cricket. From the batter's point of view, it is easy for someone to adopt the One Day Internationals after playing First-Class matches, but it is not very easy to adopt the ODI conditions after playing T20s.

"When you play 50-over cricket after First-Class, it is much easier to adapt, but going from T20 to ODIs is never easy. It is encouraging that all the players have come through the season and are in very good touch,” he added.