Tag: Fakhar Zaman

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday fined Pakistan ace batter Fakhar Zaman 10 per cent of the match fee for the Code of Conduct breach during the Tri-Series final against Sri Lanka.

Zaman violated Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Support Personnel, which relates to showing dissent at an umpire’s decision.

The left-handed batter has been handed one demerit point, which is his first offence in a 24-month period.

“Zaman was found to have breached Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international match,” the ICC wrote in his press release.

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Last month, Pakistan outplayed Sri Lanka in the final by six wickets.  The incident occurred in the 19th over of Pakistan’s innings, when Fakar, who made three runs, was seen arguing with the on-field umpires after his dismissal.

The sanction was proposed by Reon King of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees.

On-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Asif Yaqoob, along with third umpire Rashid Riaz and fourth umpire Faisal Afridi, levied the charge.

The 35-year-old admitted the offence and accepted the sanction, hence eliminating the need for a formal hearing.

For the unversed, Pakistan emerged victorious in the final after a thrilling performance with the bat and ball.

Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen Afridi starred with the ball, picking up three wickets each, which bundled out Sri Lanka for a mere 114-run total in 19.1 overs.

In reply, Pakistan chased down the target in 18.4 overs, losing four wickets in the process.

Babar Azam remained the top-scorer with 37* from 34 balls laced with two fours and a six. Saim Ayub was the other notable contributor with 36 from 33 balls, striking six boundaries.

READ: Joe Root surpasses Asad Shafiq’s Test record against Australia

Pakistan duo Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah have been picked up for a whopping price in the inaugural auction of the International League T20 (ILT20).

The ILT20’s fourth edition is scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah will host a total of 34 matches. The six-team tournament will run from December 2 until January 4.

During the first-ever auction of the tournament, the Desert Vipers roped in Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah at their base price of $80,000, approximately PKR 23 million.

Both players were picked without competition, as most franchises in the ILT20 are owned by Indian investors.

 

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Fakhar was the first overseas player to be picked up in the auction. The 35-year-old will be playing for the second time with Desert Vipers in the tournament, whereas Naseem Shah will be featuring for the first time in the league.

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Among other players, UAE fast bowler Junaid Siddique attracted a massive  $170,000 from Sharjah Warriors. Afghanistan’s right-arm fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq was sold to MI Emirates for $100,000.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s mystery spinner, Usman Tariq, has been selected as a wildcard by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

 

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However, some prominent names remained unpicked at the auction. These include former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir, England’s James Anderson, Jason Roy, and India’s Ravichandran Ashwin. Moreover, Shakib Al Hasan also remained unsold in the auction.

Overall, nearly 300 players from over 20 countries are registered for the auction, including star international players, promising emerging talent, and regional players from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Pakistani Players in ILT20 2025 auction

Fakhar Zaman – $80,000

Saim Ayub – $80,000

Faheem Ashraf – $80,000

Imad Wasim – $80,000

Abdul Samad – $80,000

Naseem Shah – $80,000

Mohammad Nawaz – $80,000

Mohammad Haris – $40,000

Hassan Nawaz – $40,000

Mohammad Wasim – $40,000

Mohammad Hasnain – $40,000

Usama Mir – $40,000

Zaman Khan – $40,000

Hussain Talat – $10,000

Salman Irshad – $10,000

Sufiyan Muqeem – $10,000

READ: Marsh’s sublime knock powers Australia to victory in T20I opener

DUBAI: Pakistan opening batter Fakhar Zaman opened up on his battle with India ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 clash.

Pakistan will square off against arch-rivals India for the first time since the escalation between both nations in May 2025.

Speaking ahead of the match, Fakhar praised Bumrah as an outstanding bowler, emphasizing conditions and an attacking mindset.

“He is definitely a world-class bowler, but in cricket, the situation matters—how the pitch is playing matters.

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So if the wicket is good and the conditions are in your favor, then no matter which bowler comes at you, you attack him. That will be our plan too,” Fakhar said in a video released by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on their social media handles.

“No matter how big a bowler someone is, or how many skills they have, if you attack them, they will definitely go on the back foot. Our plan will remain the same, and we will play according to the situation,” he stated.

For the unversed, Fakhar Zaman scored his match-winning century against India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final. Notably, it was Jasprit Bumrah’s no-ball that gave the left-hander a reprieve when he was batting on three runs.

Later on, Zaman went on to score a 114 off  106 balls, laced with three sixes and 12 fours.

Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

READ: Ravichandran Ashwin names Pakistan’s potential game-changer against India

DUBAI: Pakistan top-order batter Fakhar Zaman has heaped high praise on  Saim Ayub, calling him an updated version of Babar Azam.

Saim has represented Pakistan in 8 Tests, 12 ODIs, and 41 T20Is. The southpaw has made headlines with his elegant strokeplay. His best in ODIs came against South Africa in 2024, where he scored two centuries in a 3-0 whitewash for Pakistan.

Overall, in 41 T20Is, Saim Ayub has accumulated 816 runs at an average of 22.05 and a strike rate of 136.45 with the help of four half-centuries.

Now, Fakhar Zaman has praised Saim Ayub and stated that about the batter’s skill during a video appearance on the social media handle of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

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“Someone asked me in Lahore and I told him that he is Babar Azam’s updated version,” Fakhar said.

“He is a very different player and I think he has not yet shown 80 per cent of himself to the world,” he added.

Alongside Fakhar, Pakistan’s white-ball head coach also lauded Saim Ayub as a linchpin for the team.

“Look, Saim is a key player for us and we know that if Saim scores runs, we generally win,” Hesson stated.

“It’s not so much contributions, it’s a matter of if it’s your day, you wi,n and Saim is certainly one of those players,” he concluded.

READ: India vs Pakistan: New Faces, Same Old Fire in Asia Cup 2025

SHARJAH: Top-order batter Fakhar Zaman on Tuesday reached a landmark. becoming the sixth player to represent Pakistan in 100 T20Is during the tri-series fixture against Afghanistan here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The southpaw who made his T20I debut in 2017 against the West Indies entered an elusive list. Zaman joined the likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, and Shoaib Malik.

Babar Azam has played the most number of matches for Green Shirts in the shorter format of the game with 128 appearances to his name, whereas stalwart Shoaib Malik is in second spot with 125 games.

Most matches for Pakistan in T20Is

Babar Azam – 128 matches
Shoaib Malik – 125 matches
Mohammad Hafeez – 119 matches
Shadab Khan – 112 matches
Mohammad Rizwan – 106 matches
Fakhar Zaman – 100 matches

Before the start of the clash, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a video in which Zaman’s companions extended their wishes to him on this auspicious occasion.

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“Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman was congratulated by his teammates ahead of the #PAKvAFG clash on reaching the milestone of 100 T20I appearances,” the PCB captioned the video.

So far, Fakhar Zaman has amassed 1975 runs at an average of 22.44 with the help of 11 half-centuries.

At the time of filing this story, Pakistan were 70-4 in nine overs. Mohammad Nawaz and Hasan Nawaz were on the crease in a bid to steady Pakistan’s innings in a 170-run chase.

READ: Faheem Ashraf’s four-fer keeps Afghanistan to 169

DUBAI: Pakistan opening batter Fakhar Zaman trained with the national squad here at the ICC Academy ahead of the tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan, which is set to begin on August 29.

Two days earlier, the first group of Pakistan’s T20 squad arrived here to take part in a pre-series training camp ahead of the upcoming Tri-Nation Series and the Asia Cup 2025.

The national side training camp at the ICC Academy will continue until August 27. The sessions are designed to prepare the team for consecutive international assignments in the UAE.

Fakhar, who was ruled out of the West Indies series due to a hamstring injury sustained during the second T20I in Florida,  has now resumed training with the squad.

Following his injury, Fakhar Zaman was immediately treated by the team’s physio and has since been sidelined from all cricketing activity.

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As a result, he did not feature in the remaining matches of the West Indies tour. Due to the injury, his place was also in doubt for the Asia Cup 2025 and tri-series, however, he was added to the squad.

For the unversed, the Tri-Nation Series, featuring Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the UAE, will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29 to September 7.

Pakistan will open its campaign against Afghanistan, with each team playing the others twice, and the top two teams will qualify for the final on September 7.

Following the series, Pakistan will turn its focus to the 2025 Asia Cup, which kicks off on September 9 with the opening match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong.

Pakistan squad for the UAE tri-series and Asia Cup

Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim

READ: CSA unveils venues as South Africa set to host 44 matches at 2027 World Cup

Pakistan top-order batter Fakhar Zaman is likely to regain full fitness ahead of the ACC Asia Cup 2025, set to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 9.

According to a source close to the left-handed batter, his hamstring injury, sustained during the second T20I against the West Indies in Lauderhill, is not serious.

“He is currently in Dubai on his way back home from the United States and is expected to reach tonight,” the source said.

“I spoke to him personally and he told me that it’s a minor injury and it will take him just 10 to 15 days to recover.”

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The injury forced Fakhar Zaman to miss both the third T20I and the upcoming three-match ODI series against the West Indies, starting later today.

For the unversed, this is his second injury setback of the year, having earlier missed the ICC Championship Trophy clash against India due to an oblique muscle tear sustained against New Zealand.

In the recent T20I series in Florida, Fakhar scored 28 off 24 balls in the first match and 20 off 19 in the second before being injured while fielding. He sat out the decider, which Pakistan won by 13 runs to seal the series 2-1.

READ: West Indies suffer major blow ahead of Pakistan ODIs

LAUDERHILL: Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the remainder of the West Indies tour after suffering a hamstring injury during the second T20I in Florida.

The 35-year-old left-hander sustained a mild strain to his left hamstring while fielding in the 19th over of the match.

According to the team management, he underwent a medical assessment shortly after the incident, and the PCB medical panel confirmed the diagnosis.

Fakhar Zaman was immediately treated by the team’s physio and has since been sidelined from all cricketing activity.

As a result, he did not feature in the third and final T20I, where Pakistan secured a 13-run victory to clinch the series 2-1.

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He is expected to return to Pakistan on the evening of August 4 and will begin rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore under the supervision of PCB’s medical team.

The Mardan-born batter has been struggling for form in recent matches.

In the preceding series against Bangladesh, Fakhar posted scores of 1, 44, and 8. Against the West Indies, he managed 28 and 20 in the first two games before being sidelined.

Earlier this year, Fakhar Zaman suffered an oblique muscle injury during Pakistan’s opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he played through discomfort to score 24 off 41 balls before falling to Michael Bracewell. That injury had also ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament.

He was subsequently overlooked for both the ODI and T20I squads during Pakistan’s home series against New Zealand in April.

READ: Pakistan clinch series with all-round win over West Indies in T20I decider

DUBAI: Pakistan T20I players endured a major rankings dip in the latest ICC update released on Wednesday, with only Fakhar Zaman and Abbas Afridi making minor gains amid an otherwise forgettable run in Bangladesh.

The rankings slump comes on the back of Pakistan’s dismal showing in the ongoing three-match T20I series in Mirpur, where the visitors have already lost the first two games of the series.

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris, who managed just four runs across both matches, fell 20 spots to 50th with 514 rating points.

Struggling opener Saim Ayub also slipped three places to 64th after scoring just seven runs in two outings.

Middle-order batter Hassan Nawaz, who registered back-to-back ducks, tumbled 22 positions to 68th in the batting charts.

Moreover, skipper Salman Ali Agha’s lean patch continued, with just 12 runs from 32 balls costing him an 18-place drop to 93rd.

Meanwhile, senior batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, both missing the series, dropped one spot each, now placed 13th and 14th respectively.

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However, Fakhar Zaman provided a rare bright spot for Pakistan in the ICC T20I batting rankings, climbing eight places to 79th after a composed 44-run knock in the opening game.

In the bowling department, pacer Abbas Afridi, who took three wickets in two matches, slipped two spots to 22nd place with 608 points.

However, he also made significant contributions with the bat, scoring 22 and 19 runs, which allowed him to rise 26 places to 45th in the T20I all-rounders’ rankings.

Haris Rauf, sidelined due to injury, dropped four places to 24th, while Shaheen Afridi, also absent from the squad, fell two places to 36th.

Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed made the biggest leap in the bowling rankings, moving up 12 places to 49th after a steady performance.

Globally, Australia’s Travis Head retained the top spot in T20I batting rankings, with India’s Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma at second and third respectively.

In the bowling rankings, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy remains No. 1, followed by England’s Adil Rashid and India’s Varun Chakaravarthy.

READ: Pakistan likely to get Pro League spot after New Zealand pullout

MIRPUR: Explosive batter Fakhar Zaman on Tuesday broke ace batter Babar Azam’s record of taking most catches as a fielder for Pakistan in T20Is.

The 35-year-old surpassed the record in the second T20I against Bangladesh, taking the catch off Tanzim Hasan Sakib in the 16th over of the game.

Fakhar Zaman’s catch took his tally to 53 in 95 matches, overtaking Babar Azam, who took 52 in 128 games.

Most Catches for Pakistan in T20Is

Fakhar Zaman  95* matches  53 catches

Babar Azam 128 matches 52 catches

Shoaib Malik 123 matches 50 catches

Shadab Khan  112 matches 40 catches

At the time of filing this story, Pakistan were 15-5 in five overs with Salman Ali Agha and Khushdil Shah at the crease. Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman could only manage to score eight runs off eight balls

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Earlier, All-round bowling effort from Pakistan booked Bangladesh for a meagre total.

Put into bat first, Bangladesh were bowled out for 133 on the last ball of the penultimate over, courtesy of an impressive bowling display from Pakistan. Jaker Ali top scored with a 55-run knock featuring five sixes and a four.

For Pakistan, it was an all-round bowling effort. Abbas Afridi, Ahmed Daniyal, and Salman Mirza picked up two wickets each while Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf managed to scalp one apiece.

Playing XIs

Pakistan

Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (WK), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha (c), Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal.

Bangladesh

Parvez Hossain Emon, Naim Sheikh, Litton Das (c)(wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman

READ: WCL 2025: Chadwick Walton’s 83 takes West Indies Champions to 164-9