Fakhar Zaman conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant by Pakistan Navy chief
Pakistan’s top cricketer Fakhar Zaman has been conferred the rank of honorary lieutenant in Pakistan Navy by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi.
He was honored for his achievements in the cricket arena and association with the navy, said Pakistan Navy chief as he congratulated Zaman. Speaking at a ceremony at the naval headquarters, the naval chief restated Navy’s support to various sports which had produced a number of professional players who represented the country globally.
Former Navy serviceman
The talented Fakhar Zaman is an ex-Pakistan Navy serviceman, who joined the navy in 2007 as a sailor in the Operations Branch. Zaman’s excellent cricket talent was recognized during his early years in service, and he went on to represent the Pakistan Navy in many global tournaments.
“His performance in the game remained exceptional and he earned numerous laurels for the navy”, the navy’s press statement noted. In view of his skills and extraordinary talent, the Pakistan Navy “graciously provided him the opportunity to continue his career in cricket” and join the Pakistan national cricket squad.
Zaman’s key achievements in cricket
Zaman’s international debut was in 2012 while he was serving in the navy, when he participated in the International Defence Cricket Challenge Cup 2012 held in Australia when he was declared best player of the tournament.
His major career achievements include a match-winning century against India in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, in which he was declared the Man of the Match. He also became the fastest player to score 1,000 runs in just 18 one-day internationals in the year 2018.
Zaman became the first Pakistani to score a double century in an ODI and had a record opening partnership of 304 runs in 2018. He also made a world record by amassing 512 runs in five consecutive ODI series. In the National T20 Cup 2020, he was declared the best player and batsman.