The collage of photos shows former South African captain Faf du Plessis (left) and Pakistan’s opening batter Fakhar Zaman. – AFP
Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has urged Pakistan to reconsider the batting position of opener Fakhar Zaman ahead their pivotal Super Eights encounter against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The high-stakes match is set to take place on Saturday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Speaking during a pre-match analysis segment on a local sports network, Du Plessis suggested that moving Fakhar up the order could offer Pakistan the stability and aggressive impetus required during the powerplay and middle overs.
“I like the look of Fakhar at three; it feels like a positive adjustment to me,” said Du Plessis.
“It is a role where he has found success previously, batting around the one-down or number four position. He has scored runs there, so I believe it is a constructive move,” he added.
The 41-year-old veteran also encouraged Pakistan to embrace an aggressive mindset while maintaining flexibility in their team selection based on match conditions.
He stressed the importance of assessing the playing environment carefully and constructing a starting XI tailored to specific scenarios to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
“You have to select a side that is intent on playing positive cricket,” Du Plessis explained. “You have to ask yourself: will we be chasing in a rain-shortened 13-over game, or will we need to bowl the opposition out? You pick your team accordingly.”
Pakistan currently sit third in Group 2 standings with just one point from two matches.
To leapfrog New Zealand, who boast a net run rate of 1.390, the Green Shirts must defeat Sri Lanka by a margin of approximately 65 runs—or chase down the target inside 13 overs—to better that rate. Pakistan’s net run rate currently sits at -0.461.
England’s recent victory over New Zealand has kept Pakistan’s semi-final ambitions alive, though their fate now hinges on a substantial result against the co-hosts in Kandy.
Should they fall short of the required margin, New Zealand will join England in progressing to the semi-finals from Group 2.
