Tag: Fakhar Zaman

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi came out in support of left-handed opener Fakhar Zaman, stating it is crucial to engage with him and leverage his abilities.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday, announced the central contracts for the 2024-25 international season, along with the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe.

However, Fakhar’s name was missing from the central contract list and squads for the upcoming tours.

Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi, without mentioning the cricketing body, offered a piece of advice to them regarding Fakhar Zaman, emphasizing the need to maximise the potential of the “talented match-winner”.

“Regarding Fakhar Zaman, let’s ensure we maximise the potential of this talented match-winner,” wrote Afridi on X, formerly Twitter.

” It’s crucial to engage with him and leverage his abilities at this prime stage of his career. He has the power to lead us to victory in matches, series and tournaments,” he added.

The former all-rounder also lauded the PCB for entrusting wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan to lead the team. He expressed confidence in Rizwan’s ability to steer the white-ball side to new heights.

“If you’re searching for a captain who embodies strategy, fearlessness, positivity, energy and passion, look no further than Rizwan,” wrote Afridi on X, formerly Twitter.

“I’m thrilled that @TheRealPCB has entrusted him with this important responsibility. I have full confidence that he will propel this white-ball team forward and meet the high expectations of those who want to see Pakistan cricket thrive and succeed,” he added.

Rizwan on Sunday, replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after the latter stepped down from the role earlier this month, in a bid to focus more on his role as a player.

Rizwan’s first assignment as captain will be the white-ball series in Australia, starting on 4 November.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan reveals his vision as Pakistan captain

Left-arm Pakistan pacer Usman Khan Shinwari threw his weight behind opening batter Fakhar Zaman after his exclusion from Pakistan squads and central contracts.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the central contracts for the 2024-25 international season, along with the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe.

However, Fakhar’s name was missing from the central contract list and squads for the upcoming tours.

The decision to exclude Fakhar Zaman did not sit well with Usman Khan Shinwari, who expressed his backing for the left-handed batter.

“I will prefer one day of Fakhar Zaman’s life Rather than 60 years of those who were choosing their sides according to situations,” wrote Shinwari on X, formerly Twitter.

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Meanwhile, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, during a press conference where he announced handing white ball captaincy to Rizwan, addressed Fakhar’s exclusion from the central contracts list.

“There is the tweet issue definitely. But that doesn’t matter as much as his fitness tests. He had two issues: the fitness test and the show-cause notice, which is still pending. That is why he hasn’t been included (in the central contracts list),” Naqvi said.

It is worth mentioning here that the left-handed batter has questioned the PCB’s decision to exclude Babar Azam from the squad for the last two Tests of the recently concluded England series.

In a post on X, Zaman had said that dropping Babar Azam would send a negative message to the team, as he emphasised the need to safeguard key players rather than undermine them.

The PCB chief in his press conference reiterated the importance of discipline within the team while acknowledging Fakhar Zaman’s input during the previous connection camp.

“Fakhar spoke well in the connection camp, and because of that, we’ve fixed a lot of things and are doing more in the international department. I appreciate him for that, but this can’t happen if a player gets dropped by the selection committee then another player starts doing tweets against it. This isn’t allowed and won’t be allowed. But the bigger issue is his fitness test,” Naqvi said.

READ: Kevin Pietersen questions Gary Kirsten’s resignation as Pakistan coach

Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has commented on the exclusion of opening batter Fakhar Zaman from the white-ball squads for the upcoming tour of Australia and Zimbabwe.

Earlier today, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the central contracts for the 2024-25 international season, along with the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe.

However, Fakhar Zaman’s name was missing from the central contract list and squads for the upcoming tours.

The decision to drop Fakhar did not sit well with Mohammad Amir. He expressed his shock through a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, stating that Fakhar is the only impact player in Pakistan’s white-ball team.

“I am surprised that Fakhar Zaman is not in the team. He is the only impact player we have in white ball cricket,” Amir posted.

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The cricket board also appointed wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan as the captain for Pakistan’s white-ball team ahead of the upcoming tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.

The Australia tour will run from 4-18 November, while the matches in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will be played from 24 November to 5 December.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the vice-captain and will lead the team in Rizwan’s absence during the T20I series against Zimbabwe.

Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour

ODI SQUAD: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi

T20I SQUAD: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan

Pakistan Squad for Zimbabwe Tour

ODI SQUAD: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir

T20I SQUAD: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan

READ: Mohammad Rizwan appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball captain

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi has explained the reason behind the exclusion of opening batter Fakhar Zaman from the central contracts as well as white-ball squads for the tour of Australia and Zimbabwe.

Earlier today, the cricket board announced the central contracts for the 2024-25 international season, along with the squads for the tours to Australia and Zimbabwe.

The Australia tour will run from 4-18 November, while the matches in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will be played from 24 November to 5 December.

However, Fakhar Zaman’s name was missing from the central contract list and squads for the upcoming tours.

During a press conference in Lahore, a journalist asked the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, if Fakhar was left out due to his social media post defending Babar Azam.

In response, Naqvi acknowledged the controversy surrounding Fakhar’s social media post, which has been deemed a violation of the central contract.

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However, he emphasized that the primary factor leading to Fakhar’s exclusion was due to concerns over the batter’s fitness.

“There is the tweet issue definitely. But that doesn’t matter as much as his fitness tests. He had two issues: the fitness test and the show-cause notice, which is still pending. That is why he hasn’t been included (in the central contracts list),” Naqvi said.

“If a player is dropped by the selection committee, another player starts tweeting against it. This isn’t allowed and will not be permitted. However, the bigger issue is his fitness test.”

For the unversed, earlier this month Fakhar Zaman expressed his disappointment through a social media post over the selection committee’s decision to drop star batter Babar Azam after the first Test against England.

Consequently, the PCB issued a show-cause notice to the left-hander over breaching the Code of Conduct.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan opens up after his appointment as white-ball captain

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a show-cause notice to opening batter Fakhar Zaman over his post about star batter Babar Azam.

The newly appointed selection committee on Sunday dropped Babar, along with Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sarfaraz Ahmed from the squad for the ongoing second and upcoming third Test against England.

Following the announcement, Fakhar Zaman took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account and expressed his disappointment. He cited the example of how India treated Virat Kohli during his rough phase from 2020 to 2023.

“It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively,” Fakhar posted.

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The left-handed batter praised Babar, calling him the best Pakistani batter of all time, while highlighting the need to make calculated moves rather than ‘pressing the panic button.’

“If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them,” he added.

Consequently, the following day, the PCB issued a show-cause notice to Fakhar over breaching the Code of Conduct. The cricket board has sought the explosive batter to respond to the notice by October 21.

It’s worth noting that the second Test between Pakistan and England is currently underway in Multan, while the third and final match of the series will be played in Rawalpindi from 15 October.

READ: New Zealand’s Ravindra excited for India Tests with father in crowd

Pakistan’s white-ball batting mainstay, Fakhar Zaman, has defended star batter Babar Azam, who was dropped from the squad for the upcoming two Test matches against England.

Earlier today, the newly appointed selection committee announced the squad for the upcoming second and third Test matches, which will be played in Multan and Rawalpindi on 15 and 24 October, respectively.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed the squad through a press release on their official website.

“Taking into consideration the current form and fitness of key players and looking ahead to Pakistan’s future assignments in the 2024-25 international cricket season, the selectors have decided to give rest to Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Abrar Ahmed (who is recovering from dengue fever) was unavailable for selection,” the statement said.

“The four players have been replaced by Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam (all uncapped), fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan.

“Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were initially part of the original first Test squad but were subsequently released, have also been included in the 16-player squad.”

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Fakhar Zaman took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account and expressed his disappointment over the suggestions to drop Babar. He cited the example of how India treated Virat Kohli during his rough phase from 2020 to 2023.

“It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively,” Fakhar posted.

The left-handed batter praised Babar, calling him the best Pakistani batter of all time, while highlighting the need to make calculated moves rather than ‘pressing the panic button.’

“If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them,” he added.

READ: Fatima Sana rejoins Pakistan squad ahead of Women’s T20 World Cup clash against New Zealand

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan picked wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman as the potential candidates to take up Pakistan’s white-ball captaincy after Babar Azam’s resignation.

Younis addressed the media during his visit to the iconic Adelaide Oval and stated that relinquishing the captaincy may benefit Babar to improve his performance as a batter.

“Stepping away from the captaincy will be beneficial for Babar Azam,” said Younis.

“In our culture, we often make the biggest player the captain, which I believe is a mistake. Either Mohammad Rizwan or Fakhar Zaman should be considered for the role,” he added.

The 2009 T20 World Cup-winning captain also commented on the current state of the national men’s cricket team and expressed hope for them to do well in Australia.

“I hope the Pakistan men’s cricket team performs well in Australia. The current squad includes young players, and there are certainly some issues with team selection that need to be addressed,” Younis said.

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Younis Khan then went on to laud Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie, stating that the former Australian pacer is working hard for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.

“I have played cricket with Jason Gillespie; he is working hard to improve the Pakistan team. However, there needs to be better decision-making when it comes to selection,” he said.

For the unversed, Younis Khan is on a visit to Australia to participate in the upcoming Australian Summer Cricket Festival, scheduled for October 5 in Melbourne.

The former Pakistan captain will be accompanied by Glenn Maxwell and Jake Fraser-McGurk in the event, which is focused to celebrate the sport and converge the cricketing talent from all over the globe.

READ: PCB unveils commentary panel for Pakistan-England Tests

DUBAI: The International League T20 (ILT20) franchise Desert Vipers have roped in explosive Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman for the third edition of the cash-rich league.

Fakhar, who has proved his mettle across the world for his belligerent strokeplay, spearheaded the new players’ signings list for the ILT20 Season 3.

The Southpaw will join his fellow countrymen wicket-keeper Azam Khan and left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir, who were retained by Desert Vipers.

However, Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was an integral part of Desert Vipers in the last season, was not named in the retention list of the franchise due to his international commitments.

The third season of the ILT20 will be played from January 11 to February 9 next year in thee cities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

New Signings and Retentions

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

New signings: Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Gudakesh Motie, Hassan Khan, Roston Chase and Terrance Hinds

Retentions: Aditya Shetty, Ali Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Andries Ghous, Charith Asalanka, David Willey, Joe Clarke, Laurie Evans, Michael Pepper and Sunil Narine

Desert Vipers

New signings: Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Fakhar Zaman, Lockie Ferguson and Max Holden

Retentions: Adam Hose, Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Luke Wood, Michael Jones, Mohammad Amir, Nathan Sowter, Sherfane Rutherford, Tanish Suri and Wanindu Hasaranga

Dubai Capitals

New signings: Adam Rossington, Brandon McMullen, Garuka Sanketh, Gulbadin Naib, Jeffrey Vandersay, Joe Burns, Joe Weatherley, Najibullah Zadran, Obed McCoy, Scott Kuggeleijn, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Shai Hope

Retentions: Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Dushmantha Chameera, Haider Ali, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell, Sam Billings, Sikandar Raza, Zahir Khan, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Oliver Stone

Gulf Giants

New signings: Adam Lyth, Dominic Drakes, Daniel Worrall, Ibrahim Zadran, Mark Adair, Tom Curran, Tymal Mills and Wahidullah Zadran

Retentions: Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Chris Jordan, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gerhard Erasmus, Jamie Overton, James Vince, Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, Mohammad Zuhaib Zubair, Rehan Ahmed, and Shimron Hetmyer

MI Emirates

New signings: Romario Shepherd, Tom Banton, Fareed Ahmad, Thomas Jack Draca, Ben Charlesworth

Retentions: Akeal Hosein, Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, Kusal Perera, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Nosthush Kenjige, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Waqar Salamkheil

Sharjah Warriorz

New signings: Adam Milne, Adil Rashid, Ashton Agar, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Daniel Sams, Gus Atkinson, Harmeet Singh, Jason Roy, Karim Janat, Keemo Paul, Matthew Wade, Virandeep Singh and Tim Seifert

Retentions: Dilshan Madushanka, Johnson Charles, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah, Kusal Mendis, Luke Wells, Peter Hatzoglou and Tom Kohler-Cadmore

READ: Ben Stokes to undergo hamstring scan ahead of Pakistan Tests

Pace sensation Naseem Shah and explosive batter Fakhar Zaman are among the nominations from Pakistan for the upcoming draft of Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL).

Pakistan announced a total of 64 men and 11 women cricketers to participate in the BBL draft, which is scheduled to take place on September 1.

The new nominees will join previously nominated Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan in the draft.

Along with Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman, the new list of nominees includes Shan Masood, Saim Ayub, Usman Qadir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali and Mohammad Hasnain.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan’s women players Fatima Sana, Nida Dar, Diana Baig, Aliya Riaz, and Nashrah Sandhu as well as rising stars Tuba Hasan and Arooba Shah will participate in the WBBL draft.

The Big Bash League (BBL) is scheduled to kick off on December 15, with Perth Scorchers clashing against Melbourne Stars in the tournament opener in Perth. The tournament will culminate with the final on January 27, 2025.

Meanwhile, the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) will run from October 27 to December 1, with the opening game seeing Adelaide Strikers take on Brisbane Heat at the Adelaide Oval.

READ: Usman Khawaja opens up on possibility of coaching Pakistan in future

Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has recently suggested Fakhar Zaman as a potential candidate to replace Babar Azam as the national white-ball captain.

Babar Azam has been under fire following Pakistan’s lacklustre ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, where they got knocked out from the group stage.

Many fans and critics have attributed the Green Shirts’ disastrous performance to Babar’s captaincy and called for his removal as captain.

Shoaib Malik, during an interview with a local sports outlet, expressed support for struggling Babar and advised him to stay strong during tough times.

“Ups and downs are a part of life, especially when you are a cricketer from the subcontinent. He [Babar Azam] needs to stay strong during this time. I know he has a personality that embraces challenges; right now, it’s a downtime, but good times will come too,” Malik said.

The former captain suggested Babar Azam to leave captaincy and focus only on his batting. Malik believes that the star batter can perform better without the burden of captaincy on his shoulders.

“As for his captaincy, my firm stance is that he should play only as a player. That’s my opinion. When he plays as a player, he can do wonders for the team. He should stay away from leadership,” he further added.

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When questioned about who should take over as the white-ball captain if not Babar, Malik expressed his disapproval of appointing a fast bowler as the captain in modern-day cricket, citing concerns about their workload.

He then suggested Fakhar as a potential candidate for captaincy, emphasizing his batting capabilities, which align with the demands of modern-day cricket.

“According to today’s fearless cricket, Fakhar Zaman should be considered for white ball captaincy because he has the leadership capacity,” he concluded.

It is worth noting that former captain Younis Khan also suggested Fakhar Zaman as a new candidate to fill in the shoes of Babar Azam.

“Why can’t Fakhar Zaman be the captain of the side isn’t he a performer? Didn’t he do well in the last 50-over World Cup? Who is that one player who gave us hope? Zaman started the 2023 World Cup in India poorly however, in the second half turned his form around which coincided with Pakistan’s success”, he said while speaking on national television.

Fakhar has never captained Pakistan in his seven-year international career. He endured a dismal 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, scoring only 33 runs at an average of 8.25 and a strike rate of 110 in four games.

READ: PCB to send Wahab Riaz to Maldives for ICC’s coaching workshop