KARACHI: The future of dynamic batsman Fakhar Zaman for the upcoming tour of Australia is in doubt due to persistent knee problems, which have caused him to fail a recent fitness test.
In addition to his fitness issues, Fakhar is also facing disciplinary action, and reports suggest that some senior board members are displeased with his recent behavior.
Fakhar, known as one of Pakistan’s most aggressive modern-day batsmen and a double centurion in One-Day Internationals, has found himself in hot water lately due to his outspoken nature.
Sources indicate that his selection for the Australia tour is now highly unlikely. After returning from a long trip to the West Indies, Fakhar recently failed a fitness test that required him to complete a 2-kilometer run in 8 minutes, a challenge he could not meet.
It is understood that Fakhar is currently battling knee issues. Although he has been playing in domestic cricket and is match-fit, the concern is that further strain could lead to a more serious injury.
Despite chief selector Aaqib Javed relaxing fitness standards for team selection, Fakhar’s candid remarks during the recent connection camp about his No Objection Certificate (NOC) reportedly did not go down well with some top officials of the board, excluding the chairman.
Just before the squad announcement for the second Test against England, Fakhar had expressed support for Babar Azam in a tweet. Soon after, it was announced that Babar had been dropped, which led to speculation that Fakhar had criticized the decision. Consequently, Fakhar was issued a show-cause notice and given until Monday to respond.
There had been suggestions from some former cricketers that Fakhar could be a candidate for the white-ball captaincy, but his place in the team now appears uncertain.
As of Thursday night, Salman Ali Agha was favored for the white-ball captaincy, but Mohammad Rizwan has since emerged as the leading contender for the role.
Amir defends Babar
Fast bowler Mohammad Amir has come out in strong defense of former captain Babar Azam, urging fans to stop attributing Pakistan’s recent victory to Babar’s absence. Amir stressed that the team’s win was the result of strategy and not the absence of key players.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Amir wrote, “Please stop with these petty talks that Babar wasn’t in the team, that’s why we won. We won because of better strategy and took advantage of home conditions.”
He also urged fans to avoid personal attacks on players, saying, “Criticize performances, but don’t make it personal.”
The second Test in Multan saw the absence of Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi from Pakistan’s squad.