Tag: Fakhar Zaman

Pakistan explosive opener Fakhar Zaman endured a heart-breaking moment as he walked off in tears after his dismissal against New Zealand in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy at National Bank Stadium Karachi on Wednesday.

Fakhar sustained an injury in the first over of New Zealand’s innings in Karachi yesterday when he fell awkwardly while fielding, forcing him to leave the ground for medical assessment.

Though he attempted to return to the field after some time, he eventually walked off again, raising serious concerns about his fitness.

Despite the discomfort, Fakhar still came out to bat in Pakistan’s chase of 321 runs. However, he looked far from his usual fluent self, managing a scratchy 24 before getting dismissed.

Following the announcement, Fakhar took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, confirming his ouster from the tournament while extending his support to his teammates.

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a video of Fakhar Zaman on social media in which the left-hander could be seen limping to the dressing room, where he burst into tears.

His teammate Shaheen Shah Afridi could also seen in the video, trying to comfort the tearful batter.

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For the unversed, Pakistan began their eight-team tournament 2025 campaign with a 60-run loss against New Zealand yesterday.

Green Shirts were bowled out on 260 in 47.2 overs after New Zealand’s clinical bowling performance. Khushdil Shah scored the most with his 69 off 49 balls.

Mitchell Santner and O’Rourke picked up three wickets for New Zealand, while Matt Henry grabbed two.

Tom Latham was adjudged player of the match for his match-winning unbeaten century.

Pakistan will now face arch-rivals India in the much-anticipated 2025 clash, scheduled to be played on Sunday.

READ: Champions Trophy: Temba Bavuma issues bold statement ahead of Afghanistan clash

Left-handed opening batter Imam-ul-Haq has replaced injured opener Fakhar Zaman in the Pakistan squad ahead of the much-awaited ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash against arch-rivals India.

Fakhar was ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 after he sustained an injury during Pakistan’s group-stage clash against New Zealand in Karachi yesterday.

The injury occurred in the very first over of New Zealand’s innings when Fakhar fell awkwardly while fielding, forcing him to leave the ground for medical assessment.

Though he attempted to return to the field after some time, he eventually walked off again, raising serious concerns about his fitness.

Imam-ul-Haq, who recently represented Pakistan Shaheens in the Champions Trophy warm-up match against South Africa, was later confirmed to replace Fakhar in the squad.

“The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 has approved Imam-ul-Haq as a replacement for Fakhar Zaman in the Pakistan squad” the PCB stated in a media release.

“Twenty-nine-year-old Imam, who has played 72 ODIs, was named as a replacement after Fakhar was ruled out due to an oblique injury.

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“The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the player can be officially added to the squad.”

Imam played his last of 72 ODIs against South Africa during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. He has scored 3,138 runs at an impressive average of 48.27, featuring nine centuries and 20 half-centuries.

Meanwhile, his last international match was the Boxing Day Test against Australia in December 2023 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The defending champions and hosts Pakistan began their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a 60-run loss against New Zealand yesterday.

They will now travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the much-awaited clash against arch-rivals India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23. Pakistan will then return home to face Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.

Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Virat Kohli set to break another Sachin Tendulkar record

Pakistan faced a major blow ahead of the much-awaited ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash against arch-rivals India as opening batter Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury, sources confirmed on Thursday.

Fakhar, who sustained an injury during Pakistan’s group-stage clash against New Zealand in Karachi, will not be traveling with the team to Dubai for the match against India. The ICC is expected to make an official announcement regarding his replacement soon.

The injury occurred in the very first over of New Zealand’s innings when Fakhar fell awkwardly while fielding, forcing him to leave the ground for medical assessment.

Though he attempted to return to the field after some time, he eventually walked off again, raising serious concerns about his fitness.

Later, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a statement saying, “Fakhar Zaman is being assessed and examined for a muscular sprain, and further updates will be provided in due course.”

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Despite the discomfort, Fakhar still came out to bat in Pakistan’s chase of 321 runs. However, he looked far from his usual fluent self, managing a scratchy 24 before getting dismissed.

With no other specialist opener in the squad apart from Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan now faces a major selection headache ahead of the crucial Champions Trophy match against India.

The defending champions and hosts Pakistan began their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a 60-run loss against New Zealand yesterday.

They will now travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the much-awaited clash against arch-rivals India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23. Pakistan will then return home to face Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.

Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Salman Ali Agha reveals the key factor behind Pakistan’s defeat

KARACHI: Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman did not come to open the innings after New Zealand posted 320 for 4 in their first innings in the ongoing match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 here on Wednesday.

Due to Fakhar’s injury, the Pakistan cricket team had to change their batting order against New Zealand in the first ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match.

Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel opened the innings for Pakistan in pursuit of the 321-run target set by New Zealand after their regular opener, Fakhar Zaman, was forced to sit out for at least 25 minutes due to leaving the field during Pakistan’s bowling.

Fakhar fell awkwardly while fielding in the first over of New Zealand’s innings and had to leave the ground for medical assessment.

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As  ICC rules state, If a player leaves the field for more than eight minutes, they must wait the same amount of time before they can bat or bowl. Since Fakhar was off the field for over 25 minutes, he had to wait for that long before being eligible to bat.

According to ICC rule 24.2, if a fielder is absent or leaving the field of play, a fielder briefly stepping outside the boundary while performing fielding duties is not considered absent. They are not regarded as having left the field under these regulations.

The rules also state that if a fielder fails to take the field at the start, leaves during play, or returns at any point, the umpire must be informed of the reason for the absence. The player cannot re-enter the field without the umpire’s consent, which will be granted as soon as practicable.

READ: Champions Trophy: PCB provides update on Fakhar Zaman’s injury

KARACHI: Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman suffered an injury scare during the ongoing match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand here on Wednesday.

The left-hander fell awkwardly while fielding in the first over of New Zealand’s innings and had to leave the ground for medical assessment.

Fakhar Zaman did return to the field after some time, attempting to continue, but he soon walked off again, raising concerns about his fitness.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) later released a statement, saying, “Fakhar Zaman is being assessed and examined for a muscular sprain and further updates will be provided in due course.”

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Pakistan will now be anxiously waiting for further medical reports, hoping that the injury isn’t serious, given Fakhar’s importance to the team’s batting lineup.

For the unversed, after today’s game against New Zealand, the Pakistan cricket team will then travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the much-awaited clash against arch-rivals India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23.

Pakistan will then return home to face Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.

Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Shubman Gill once again dethrones Babar Azam as No.1 ODI batter

KARACHI: Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman is on the brink of surpassing the record of legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 opener against New Zealand here on Wednesday.

Fakhar, known for his aggressive stroke play, has had a stellar record against the BlackCaps, amassing 1,053 runs at an impressive average and strike rate.

With just 26 more runs, he will overtake Afridi’s tally of 1,078 runs and climb to third place on the list of Pakistan’s highest ODI run-getters against New Zealand.

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At the top of the list stands Inzamam-ul-Haq with 1,283 runs, followed closely by Saeed Anwar (1,260 runs). Fakhar, with significantly fewer innings than the others on this elite list, has a golden opportunity to etch his name further in history.

Most ODI Runs for Pakistan against New Zealand

• Inzamam-ul-Haq – 1,283 in 42 innings.
• Saeed Anwar – 1,260 runs in 32 innings.
• Shahid Afridi – 1,078 runs in 35 innings.
• Saleem Malik – 1,054 runs in 41 innings.
• Fakhar Zaman – 1,053 runs in 19 innings.

With significantly fewer innings than those ahead of him, Fakhar Zaman has a strong chance to move up the list of the batters with the most runs against New Zealand.

For the unversed, after today’s game against New Zealand, Pakistan cricket team will then travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the much-awaited clash against arch-rivals India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23.

Pakistan will then return home to face Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.

Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Shubman Gill once again dethrones Babar Azam as No.1 ODI batter

Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman has shared his thoughts on the batting position of Babar Azam in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The left-hand batter made a return to the Pakistan squad for the tri-nation series and the Champions Trophy after nursing an injury and illness.

National selector Asad Shafiq while expressing his thoughts at the time of the Pakistan team’s squad announcement, said that Fakhar Zaman’s opening partner could be either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel depending on the team combination, conditions and match strategy.

Now, Zaman who is known for his explosive batting, has shared his thoughts on the star batter’s promotion as an opener in the team ahead of the mega event.

He revealed his thoughts during a PCB podcast by saying that, for a player like Babar’s calibre batting order did not matter.

“For a player like Babar Azam, batting number doesn’t matter, he is such a player that his class doesn’t let you down,” said Zaman.

“The range Babar has in ODIs makes cricket very easy for you, I hope Babar will perform very well,” he said.

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For the unversed, the Men in Green have been placed in Group A of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 alongside India, New Zealand and Bangladesh.

Pakistan will begin their campaign with the tournament opener against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19.

They will then face India in the highly-anticipated match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23.

Pakistan will play their third and final group match in Rawalpindi against Bangladesh on February 27.

However, the national side will compete in a tri-nation series involving New Zealand and South Africa before the tournament.

Pakistan squad for tri-nation series, Champions Trophy 2025:

Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Usman Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Mohsin Naqvi hints at possible changes in Champions Trophy squad

Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman and former pace bowler Mohammad Amir looked back at their unforgettable performances in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. 

Pakistan thrashed India by 180 runs to clinch their first ICC title since 2009 courtesy of some fine batting and bowling performances from Zaman and Amir.

While engaging in an exciting episode of The Desert Vipers’ latest season of ‘Straight Up’ both reflected on the fond memories of the final.

Zaman, whose knock of 114 runs flattened India, reflected on his game-changing century. The 34-year-old was lucky to be dismissed off a no-ball early in his innings. Remembering the moment, the left-hand batter revealed that he had wished for such luck before the match.

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“When I said that, it was just a casual comment during a conversation with my teammates. No one took it seriously. But when it actually happened, everyone started saying I had seen it in my dreams!” he said while laughing.

Zaman’s phenomenal performance helped the Pakistani team post a mammoth total of 338 runs which resulted in a famous victory over arch-rivals.

Similarly, Mohammad Amir wreaked havoc on India’s top order in the Champions Trophy 2017 final with his bowling, dismissing the star-studded trio of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, to help Pakistan achieve one of the most glorious feats in history.

Amir’s sensational figures of 3 for 16 in six overs helped the Green Shirts to bowl out India for 158.

Amir reflected on his spell saying that there was not much help from the pitch but, when Virat Kohli fell, he was almost certain that Pakistan had secured the Trophy.

“Honestly, that pitch wasn’t swinging much. Even in the morning, there wasn’t a lot of movement,” Amir said. “But I had this feeling that something special was going to happen. When I got Rohit out first, the energy just kept building.”

“The moment Kohli got out, I thought, ‘We’ve won 60% of the game.’ It was a surreal feeling,” he further said.

The duo recalled the historical moments of celebrations, landing back with the trophy at home. Fakhar reminisced about the struggle to exit the airport due to the massive crowd, while the former pacer described the jubilant scenes in the streets of Karachi.

“I didn’t realize the magnitude of what we had achieved until we landed in Pakistan. People came from all over to celebrate with us,” Fakhar said.

READ: Shaheen Afridi reminisces Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2017 victory

Pakistan top-order batter Fakhar Zaman has highlighted several key players of India, who can play a pivotal role in their team’s success in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Fakhar, in an online press conference, acknowledged the impact of Indian stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik Pandya, emphasizing their ability to shine on the big stage.

“In my opinion, Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma will be important players for India in the upcoming tournament,” Fakhar said.

Shifting the focus to the playing conditions, Fakhar discussed the evolving nature of pitches in Dubai, a venue that will host several matches.

He highlighted how the traditionally slow pitches have become more competitive, thanks to improved efforts by ground staff.

“Having flat wickets everywhere is not always a good thing. It’s important to play in different conditions,” he added.

Fakhar Zaman also shared his thoughts on the much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan, lamenting the absence of a home crowd.

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“It would have been great if India had come, but these things are out of our control. We will miss the home crowd in a match against India,” he said.

It’s worth noting that the ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

The eight-team tournament will consist of 15 matches over 19 days and will take place in Pakistan and Dubai.

In Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi will be the three venues to host tournament play. Each Pakistan venue will feature three group games apiece, with Lahore hosting the second semi-final.

Lahore will also host the final on 9 March, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai.

Both the semi-finals and the final will have reserve days. The three group matches involving India, as well as the first semi-final, will be played in Dubai.

READ: Virat Kohli suffers injury ahead of Champions Trophy 2025