Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman expressed confidence in Babar Azam's ability to perform in future matches, despite his early dismissal in the tri-nation series’ opening match against New Zealand.

Speaking after the match, Zaman stated, "I am hopeful that Babar will perform well in the upcoming games."

Zaman further elaborated on his own performance during the match, acknowledging the disappointment of getting out but emphasising that he did not regret missing out on a century.

"There are many things going on in your mind during a match, and it is always disheartening to get out, but I have no sadness about not scoring a century," Zaman remarked.

Reflecting on his personal health, the Pakistan opener mentioned that he had recently recovered from an illness. "I was ill before, and now I am recovering from it," he added.

Zaman also expressed his surprise and delight at the state-of-the-art stadium, remarking, "I didn’t expect such a great stadium to be built. In the past, we used to watch matches sitting down, but now our dressing room has been moved upstairs."

He continued by advocating for more such stadiums to be built across Pakistan, saying, "I think more stadiums like this should be constructed in Pakistan."

Regarding the match's outcome, Zaman credited the New Zealand batsmen for their performance, stating, "The credit for winning the match goes to New Zealand’s batsmen."

Looking ahead, Zaman reiterated his enthusiasm for the upcoming Champions Trophy but stressed the importance of focusing on the ongoing tri-series.

He said, "We are excited for the Champions Trophy, but our focus right now is on the tri-series."

He added, "Whenever someone fails to perform, we begin to talk about it, but Babar is an exceptional player, and I am confident he will perform well in the upcoming matches."

In the first match of the Tri-Series against New Zealand, Zaman played an impressive innings of 84 runs, while Babar Azam was dismissed early, scoring just 10 runs.