Zaman Khan, a pacer for Pakistan, made his ODI debut after being called up to take Naseem Shah’s place in a crucial Asia Cup 2023 Super Four match against Sri Lanka. We present you with the humble journey of Pakistani cricketer Zaman Khan in this article.
Despite Pakistan’s failure to advance to the final round of the regional tournament, the right-arm fast bowler was still crowned a winner thanks to his performance in many ways.
The Pakistani bowling lineup displayed indifference as the game came down to the final ball, defending a total of 252 runs in a rain-affected match.
As Sri Lanka needed eight runs to win, Zaman Khan was chosen to bowl the final over. He displayed skill in the first three balls before a thick outside edge on the fifth ball of the over reduced the score to two runs. The game was won by Sri Lanka by two wickets.
Journey of Pakistani cricketer Zaman Khan
A Sunni Muslim Pashtun family from Chakswari in the Mirpur District of Azad Kashmir gave birth to Khan on September 10, 2001.
His family is a member of the Pashtun Sulaimankhel Bettani tribe. Originally from South Waziristan, Zaman Khan.
However, with the encouragement of his uncle, Khan later joined various cricket clubs in Mirpur.
Through his performances and bowling speed, he was noticed and given the opportunity to play in the Ghulam Kashmir Premier League in 2021, which would be the breakthrough for his career.
His father was against his wishes to play cricket, enrolling him into a madrasa after school, with Khan continuing to learn the Qur’an by heart today.
On social media, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) published an interview with Zaman Khan.
He admitted that he had labored in the past alongside his father and brother and that, in his hometown, he had worked as a loader at a brick kiln.
Sharing how he entered the cricket world, he said: “There was a cricket match going on at our ground, and I used to watch people playing. On that day, I went there and expressed my desire to play cricket. They gave me ball and asked to deliver an over”.
Khan said all the 12 deliveries thrown by him were wide, adding that the next day he bowled again and there was not a single wide ball. “From there, I developed an interest in becoming a fast bowler,” he said.
“When I was sick, I would take leave from school, but I went to play cricket,” he said. “Keeping in view my passion for cricket, one day a brother of mine told me to attend trials for Under-16 Mirpur. I went there, gave the trial, and got selected.”
Zaman Khan further revealed, “I didn’t have my family’s support, and I even cried to get support”. “When I got selected for Pakistan Under-16, I went on a tour to Australia and took the most wickets there.”
He said he was named as best emerging talent due to his performance in the PSL. Then I thought I could play for the Pakistan team. “I knew I would have to work even harder, and I will perform well in domestic cricket as well,” Zaman Khan said.
The pacer wanted to establish a cricket academy in his city to provide opportunities to children interested in the game.
He concluded, “Cricket has given me a lot, and if it wasn’t for cricket, maybe I wouldn’t have been able to do much for my family. Cricket has doubled my livelihood.”
