Pakistan Navy confers honorary lieutenant rank to cricketer Fakhar Zaman
- 28 Dec 2020
Gulf Today Report
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi on Monday conferred renowned cricketer Fakhar Zaman the rank of honorary lieutenant in the Pakistan Navy.
Zaman, an ex-Pakistan Navy serviceman, was honoured for his achievements in the cricket arena and association with the navy at a special award ceremony held at the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad.
Having joined the navy in 2007 as a sailor in the Operations Branch, Zaman's excellent cricket talent was spotted during his early years in service, and he went on to represent the Pakistan Navy in many tournaments. His performance in the game remained exceptional and he earned numerous laurels for the navy, according to the press release.
He made his international debut in cricket in 2012 while he was still serving the Pakistan Navy. His cricketing skills were recognised and he was rewarded with a Sanad-e-Tahseen award by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
Pakistan Navy observed Zaman's profound cricket skills and extraordinary talent and graciously provided him with the opportunity to continue his career in cricket and join the Pakistan national cricket squad.
His major achievements in cricket include a match-winning century against India in the final of ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, in which he was declared the "man of the match.”
Besides, he had scored 1,000 fastest runs in just 18 One-Day International (ODI) matches in the year 2018. He became the first Pakistani to score a double century in an ODI match and had a record opening partnership of 304 runs in 2018. Zaman made the world record by scoring 512 runs in five consecutive ODI series. In national T-20 tournament 2020, he was declared the best player and batsman.
In his address at the ceremony, Admiral Niazi congratulated Zaman for his remarkable achievements for Pakistan in the field of cricket. He underscored that the Pakistan Navy had been supporting various sports including squash, sailing, hockey, and football, and has produced a number of professional players who represented the country.
The award ceremony was attended by military members, civilians, and dignitaries from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Besides, many former cricketers and their families also attended the ceremony.