Islamabad: Pakistan’s celebrated cricketer Fakhar Zaman was conferred the rank of honorary lieutenant in the Pakistan Navy on Monday.
The Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Niazi on Monday designated the Pakistani sportsman as the honorary lieutenant in the Pakistan Navy in recognition of his brilliant performance in cricket as he earned numerous laurels for the country.
In his address at the ceremony held at the Naval Headquarters, Admiral Niazi congratulated Zaman for his remarkable achievements for Pakistan in the field of cricket. Pakistan Navy has been supporting different sports and had produced a number of professional players who represented the country in international sports events, he said.
“Humbled to Allah Almighty and thankful to CNS Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi for bestowing me Honourary Lieutenant Rank of Pakistan Navy”, Zaman shared on Twitter, expressing gratitude for his family, friends as well as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The news led to a flurry of congratulatory messages on social media where his jubilant fans wished him more success.
Former Navy serviceman
Zaman is a former Pakistan Navy serviceman who joined the service in 2007 as a sailor in the Operations Branch. Zaman’s excellent cricket talent was spotted during his early years in the service as he represented Pakistan Navy in many cricket tournaments.
“His performance in the game remained exceptional and he earned numerous laurels for Pakistan Navy” the official statement said. Later, Pakistan Navy “graciously provided him the opportunity to continue his career in cricket” and join the Pakistan national cricket squad, considering his skills and extraordinary talent.
Zaman’s international debut in cricket was in 2012 while he was still serving in Pakistan Navy. During this time, he participated in the International Defence Cricket Challenge Cup 2012 held in Australia and was declared the best player of the tournament.
He was also warded Sanad-e-Tahseen by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) in acknowledgment of his outstanding cricket skills.
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.
• In 2018, he became the fastest player to score 1,000 runs in just 18 one-day internationals (ODI).
• Zaman is 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.